Iryo-nin Kasa (医療忍 傘)
by Vaengir
Summary: Whoever said death is nothing to be afraid of have likely lived a full life. Though, I suppose the same could be said for the reverse. Those who fear death have never truly lived, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself. My name is Kasa, the idiot who doesn't know how to die properly. And let me tell you, dying hurts. OC Self-insert
1. Prologue

Author's Note: I've been avoiding writing SI's like a plague, but after reading such a wonderful fanfic like **Dreaming of Sunshine** by **Silver Queen** and a hilarious one like **My Life as Ishikari Mayu **by **TFK-fan118**. I couldn't resist. Not sure if I could match up to either authors, but thanks for reading!

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**Iryo-nin Kasa (医療忍 傘)**

**Prologue**

Whoever said death is nothing to be afraid of have likely lived a full life. Though, I suppose the same could be said for the reverse. Those who fear death have never truly lived, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

My name is Kasa Mon, the idiot who doesn't know how to die properly.

And let me tell you one thing. Dying hurts, not sure if it would still hurt when you're completely dead, but seeing that I'm too stupid to die properly… Yeah, I'm going to have to get back to you on that. Where was I? Right, dying and hurting. Yeah, try not to die if you can, but if you do—friendly advice—stay dead. Trust me, you don't want to come back.

I won't bore you with the details of my first death because who really cares? This is not that story. Nope, this one is way better. What? I'm not lying! Don't believe me? Stick around a bit longer.

Remember I said I'm too stupid to die properly? Keep that in mind, that'll be important. Here's the thing about death. Everyone has their own interpretations of what would happen after they die. Those who are religious end up in heaven, hell, purgatory, nirvana or whatever place they believe they'll end up in. Atheists and others who don't believe in anything… well, they'll end up wherever they think they'll end up after death.

Sounds like a pretty good deal if you have high hopes for the afterlife. Of course, there are those who don't want to die or aren't willing to move onto whatever they think the afterlife is. Now, those people become spirits, demons, vengeful souls and so on and so forth, typical horror story origin. Where do you think the stories come from?

Now, Kasa you ask, where are you going with this? Remember when I said I was too stupid to die properly? Death is pretty straightforward, if one believes they go to heaven, they will. If they think they deserve hell, they go to hell. You get the point.

Here comes the big question: What do I believe in?

To answer that, let's get to know me a little better shall we? Don't worry, this still isn't going to be that story, but bear with me a little. Before I died, I was normal—well, as normal as the average person I suppose. I was single with a typical family: parents, siblings, and aunts, uncles the works. Graduated with a normal college education, got a normal job. Nothing worth noting…except, the fanatic side that's obsessed with Japan, games, books and countless other fandoms.

I've lost count how many there were over the years, but when I died there was one I was particularly obsessed with. That's right, Naruto.

Before you jump to conclusions and roll your eyes, this little trip is hardly a fan's dream come true. Heck, a nightmare would probably be a better description of what this is. Who in their right mind would want to live in a world filled with dangers at every turn with demons, wars and murderous organizations obliterating villages and towns like they were playing god-mode in Sim City?

Okay, I'll admit the idea of throwing elemental jutsus of mass destruction around like a badass is pretty damn cool, but hell what are the chances of me being able to do that? Not to mention I had no clue what the rules of death was when I arrived—No, back up a bit, forget the rules of death, I didn't even know where I was!

One moment, I was screaming in pain and terror from my previous death and the next, I was screaming in terror at the gigantic hands holding my cold and wet body. Where the hell was I? I wiggled and squirmed, but it didn't seem like my body wanted to listen. My vision was clouded, my hearing was muffled, it was almost as if I was drunk.

Except, I wasn't. My mind was clear, but my senses were dull. At first I thought the long years of fanaticism had finally snapped my mind. Why else would I be tended and cared for by giants? Giants that speak fluent Japanese of all things. Even the Japanophile in me is shaking her head at the blatant wrongness of western mythological creatures uttering Japanese. It took all of six months before I realized my mistake.

Why six months? Because it's hard to keep a coherent thought when anyone sleeps for sixteen hours a day and more so when they have a depth perception of eight inches or less. The lack of motor skills and control over my bowel movement and bladder was enough to drive me mad. Anytime I was awake, I was doing whatever I can to get any semblance of control. Not that I ever get far, the rain always lulled me back to sleep. It _always_ rained.

During this time, I learned that the names of new my parents, Somoku and Tesuri, the Japanese giants. Why am I still harping about them speaking Japanese when it's obvious they're not really western mythological creatures? The reason, my mother has red hair, _natural_ red hair. Don't get me wrong; I love red heads. In my previous life I wished I had red hair, but here, it made no sense whatsoever.

Why would she be speaking Japanese when she obviously looked European? Even if this were a figment of my deranged mind, why isn't it in English? Instead it's in Japanese, a language I barely know aside from basic greetings and questions.

The weirdness doesn't end there, far from it. My father has an even more bizarre color, blue. Who has blue hair? What was he? An anime character? The thought was almost enough to throw me into a giggling fit. Keyword: almost. Why didn't I? Because when I tugged his hair, checking whether or not his roots were blue, I noticed it was covering something.

I have no clue how I looked when I saw that metallic plate against his forehead. My jaw must've dropped because he chuckled at my expression and pinched my cheek. There was no way anyone in this fandom that cannot recognize a ninja hitai-ate on sight. Oh, and remember what I said about nightmare? He wasn't wearing a Konoha hitai-ate.

Four lines, it was Ame, the symbol of the Hidden Village of Rain. The village of civil wars and the base of Akatsuki… Guess what my first word was in this world?

"Shit."

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Author's Note: I want to pay homage to **Silver Queen** because her story got me into writing this SI. So check her story out!


	2. Chapter One: Umbrella in the Rain

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter One: Umbrella in the Rain**

To say my parents were upset at my first words was an understatement. Most kids start with mama or papa, but I started with shit. And boy was that word perfect for my predicament. Newly born to the dangerous ninja world, I have a scant clue where I am, but no clue when here is. The only upside I had, my father was a ninja. So the chances of being able to use chakra were in my favor.

I can't say I know much about either of my parents aside from their odd coloring. Although, Somuku, Kaa-san, seems to be very good at calligraphy. The times when I'm awake and not eating or getting cleaned; she would have her scrolls and brushes out. Let's be realistic, I'm a grown woman in the body of a toddler, I've potty train myself before I could walk. I could go without having someone fuss over me constantly. It's bad enough I took away their expectations of their baby's first words. She deserves some time to do what she enjoys.

"Do you want to try?" asked Somuku with a soft smile.

I returned with a gummy smile, having only had two teeth on top and one tooth on the bottom. Finally, something to do!

Somuku picked me up from my chair and sat me on her lap. She took the thinnest brush from her collection and held it against my tiny hand. I did my best to concentrate as she guided the brush and my hand over the scroll. For the most part, I could understand what she said, when she talked, but whether or not I could respond with the same proficiency is another matter.

"That's a good girl," murmured Kaa-san as she made each stroke with hypnotizing grace. "Do you know what word this is?"

I stared at the character and shook my head. It looked like someone bent the handles of a pogo stick with tire marks underneath the handles. "What?" I asked with my one-word vocabulary.

"That's Kasa," answered Somuku.

"Me!" I blurted out and stared at the character again with a grin. She was teaching me how to write my name.

"Yes, that's your name," she cooed. "Do you want to know why it looks like that?"

I nodded. One thing I loved about Somuku was her kanji lessons. While she's not my mother, I could still love her. It also helps that Kaa-san sound nothing like mommy, ma or mom. I could easy just treat that term as name rather than a title, same goes for Tou-san I suppose.

She took my hand again and guided the brush to the inkwell before gliding it across the scroll again. "Do you know what Kasa means?" asked Kaa-san.

I shook my head. How could I? With Japanese there were so many words that sounded similar that it could have multiple meanings. Kami could mean god, hair or even paper. Of course, it also made it easier to make bad puns.

"It means umbrella," answered the woman.

I scrunched up my nose. Seriously? Is this their sense of humor? They have a child in the village of rain, and named her umbrella… What the hell? I suppose it was better than getting named after food. She guided my hand through three strokes, two up top and one straight down the middle. It looked like an arrow.

"Now, this is an umbrella," she continued and moved beneath the arrow's head. "Remember what the character for person looks like?"

I nodded. Hito, two strokes attached to one another. Somuku's previous lesson taught me it was written that way because it looks like a person standing in a wide stance. It's kind of cute that each kanji could be explained like a pictogram.

"Now here, underneath the umbrella, you have four people hiding from the rain," she murmured softly as she drew two characters on each side. "But you don't want them to get wet," she dragged the brush across the line beneath the characters of hito. "So you have a floor for them to stand on while they wait for the rain to stop."

"Mmm." I nodded as she finished.

"Do you know why your name is Kasa?" asked Somuku.

I wanted to answer because you and your husband have a poor sense of humor? But instead I pointed to the window. "Rain lots?"

Somuku laughed at my answer. "Yes, it rains a lot here, but that's not why."

I tilted my head back, looking up at her in question. "Why?"

"Do you know what do umbrellas do?" asked Somuku.

Keep you dry? What's the word for dry anyway? "Not wet?"

She patted my head. "Yes, it keeps you dry, but do you see the people here?" She pointed to the characters of hito in the character. "Did you notice, that this umbrella doesn't only have one person?"

Okay?

Somuku must've noticed the baffled look on my face when she held me closer. "Umbrellas are meant to protect people, to shield them from the cold and harsh world."

Oh…

"Do you know why the umbrella is so big here? And why the people are so close together?" Somuku continued as she pointed at each part of the character.

Because it's looks better aesthetically? I shook my head.

"It's big so you can protect more people," murmured Kaa-san. I glanced at her in surprise. "And when you protect people, they'll grow close to you and in turn support you. Do you understand?"

I nodded slowly.

"All right! Let's move onto the next character then!" chirped Somuku as she unraveled the scroll some more and smoothed it out on the table.

It was strange that Kaa-san gave me such a deep lesson. There was no reason for her to do something like that especially for a two-year-old that would probably forget half the things she said before even turning four.

What I didn't know at the time was that Ame was in the midst of a civil war. Somuku rarely took me out of the house if she could help it because of this, but the rare few times she did, I noticed the despair that permeated through the village and its people. I don't know how much money food normally cost, but at the amount of zeros I see, the war was hitting Ame hard. The towering buildings and never-ending rain didn't help the despondent mood either.

As time grew on, I saw less and less of Tou-san. Kaa-san explained that he was at the hospital helping the sick and injured. I'm guessing he's a medic, an iryo-nin. At least, I know he's not out fighting against the rebels.

I wish I had more information on what was going on. I can't tell whether the Second Shinobi war just ended or if we were well on our way into the Third Shinobi war. Then there was also the matter of the Ame Orphans. Were they a part of the rebel group yet? Or are they still training under Jiraiya? I shudder at the thought of Tesuri facing them. They would utterly annihilate him before he could move.

By the time my third birthday came, I grasped onto enough of the language to hold a childish conversation and basic writing. It'll take a few more years before I could read anything longer than a children's book and let me tell you, that is torture. As a fanatic, reading was the best pleasure I got from life, aside from gorging myself with delicious food like the glutton I am.

"Kasa, come here. I'm going to teach you a game," said Somuku.

"Game?" I perked up at the word and stumbled my way to her. "What game? I wanna play a game! GAME!" I can't help but cheer.

The gamer in me was dying from boredom, by this point I would've been happy to play monopoly or scrabble by my lonesome if I could. There was nothing to do in Ame. The village was so poor that toys were a luxury and children were often kept indoors to avoid catching a cold in the rain. Not that Kaa-san would've let me out if there were kids out either way, but my point is that there's nothing to do here.

She chuckled at my enthusiasm and patted the seat next to her for me to sit down. "Now, now. Calm yourself, you're not going to be good at this game if you're this excited."

Not going to be good? Is that a challenge? I plopped down next to her unceremoniously. "What game are we playing Kaa-san?" I asked.

"It's a very simple game," explained Somuku as she pulled out two feathers.

"Huh?" I responded dumbly. What game can you play with feathers?

As if reading my thoughts, she placed a feather on each of her hands and showed me. One hand remained facing up with the feather and the other turned facing down. However, the feather on the one facing down didn't fall and the one facing up was steadily hovering above her hand. My eyes widened. This was a chakra exercise. She was going to teach me how to use chakra!

"How are you doing that?" I gapped in awe as I peeked under her hand to see if it was sticking to her hand or if she was pinching it between her fingers.

"Chakra," answered Somuku with a grin. "You can do it too with a little practice."

"Yeah! How do I do that? I wanna do that!" I tugged at her arm excitedly.

This was better than playing a game! Somuku chuckled before flipping her hand back and releasing whatever chakra that kept the feathers sticking and repelling to and from her. As always, her lessons were fun and informative with a little backstory to each thing she taught. If I had her for a professor in college, I wouldn't have fallen asleep so often in class.

"Did you find it yet?" she mused.

I scrunched up my eyes in concentration before slumping my shoulders in defeat. "I can't find it." Just what am I supposed to find? I know chakra is an energy that flows within the body, but what the heck is that supposed to be like? Maybe I'm not meant for this? "I'm not good at this!" I huffed in annoyance.

"Don't give up," soothed Kaa-san as she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"But I can't even feel it." I complained and glanced up to her with a pout.

"Relax, don't rush. It'll come to you. Just look for your center. The light and warm will find you," she answered.

Grumbling, I closed my eyes against to concentrate. Center, center, how the hell am I supposed to find my center?

"Hold out your hands."

"Huh?" I opened my eyes in surprise and glanced towards Kaa-san.

"Face forward and keep your eyes closed. Trust me and hold out your hands," she advised.

Puzzled, but I did what she said without question. I closed my eyes and held my hands out in front of me. I felt Somuku move away from behind and kneeled in front of me. Grasping my hands into hers.

"Kaa-san?" I asked in confusion before I saw a spark. I jolted in surprise, but dare not to open my eyes less I lose that spark. "Is that?"

"You found it?" asked Somuku cheerily as I grasped onto her hand and the warmth slowly moved from the tips of my fingers and onto my palm.

"It's… so warm…" I sighed happily as I held onto the chakra.

"Open your eyes," whispered Kaa-san.

I did as she told and glanced at her. I blinked in surprise when I noticed our hands were glowing in a barely noticeable serene blue light. "Your hands weren't glowing before when you were touching the feathers."

"That's because you couldn't feel what chakra was before," explained Kaa-san as she gently pulled away. "Now that you know how it feels, you know where to look for it."

I smiled brightly as she pulled her hands away. My hands didn't glow as much as hers, but a faint light could still be seen lingering on my hands. "It's still warm!" While not as warm as it was with her hands on mine, chakra was beautiful. No, more than beautiful, it was safe and comforting.

It took weeks for me to get the hang of using chakra to stick feathers to my hands and a full month before I could repel it. Of course, knowing how to use both was not enough. Somuku kept me with these exercises until I could change directions without a thought while singing or carrying on a conversation. Even though it was hard, it never felt like a chore.

Actually, it was a ton of fun, Kaa-san made sure something new occupied me whenever it looked like I was getting bored. From chakra control to singing and dancing, she taught me how to breathe, how to move and most important, how to dodge. There was no doubt Somuku was a ninja before having me. Her movements were limber and light. She wasted no energy from one movement to the next.

The calligraphy and kanji lessons hadn't stopped either. Though, it might be because my horrible handwriting. While her words always looked like masterpieces, mine always looked like deformed chicken scratch. Hell, my handwriting in the previous life wasn't all that much better. More than half the time people made jokes about how I should be a doctor since no one could make out what the heck I wrote.

On the bright side that also meant I could read almost any form of bad handwriting. It made reading Tou-san's medical notes all that much easier… after I figured out what sort of short hand he was using. Had anyone asked me before then if I would ever be interested in the field of medicine, I would've answered with a firm "_hellz no!_" with emphasis on the z.

I'll be honest; I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box. Math and science were the bane of my existence. I'm not kidding, I could do basic arithmetic and algebra no problem, but beyond that I'm hopeless. The only reason I bothered putting myself through pre-cal four times, despite failing it three times was that it was a core requirement for graduation. As for science, the only branch I was decent in was in biology and only because it didn't have math.

Now, where was I again? Oh right! The field of medicine. Yep, definitely not high on my priority list considering the amount of study and extensive knowledge needed in biochemistry. Memorizing a shit ton of scientific names for all known form of medications, the chemical breakdown and all its adverse affects alone and in conjunction with when should any of them be applied. Oh and don't forget the side affects and what other medication can be used to reverse the effects, but then those have a ton of side effects too. It sure sounds like a blast! Gee golly, I can't wait!

Can you hear the enthusiasm dripping from my words?

Not that medicine here was much different. There were still a ton of herbs and natural remedies in use, along with complicated surgeries and various treatments for diseases and poisons. None of which I'm particularly interested in. No—what _I'm_ interested in were the near mystical healing jutsus used on the field. The magical cure all for all physical injuries, not that that's what it was. I'm sure there are more involved aside from a glowy hand and a instant heal, but as a big fan of J-RPGs like Final Fantasy and Breath of Fire that was equivalent of being a freaking white mage! How awesome is that?

To quote all gamers, "Don't fuck with the white mage!"

The days Tesuri was home were days Somuku let up on our daily routines. On those days, the three of us would sit together and Tou-san would tell stories about the current affairs. Tales of gore and bloodshed normally should not be told to children, less they were looking to traumatize them for life.

However, don't forget this is the world of ninjas. Desensitizing children had to start from somewhere. Not… that I need much desensitizing. Gore and violence hardly bothered me, I'd freak out if I had to kill someone, but dealing with someone bleeding to death or stabbing someone in self-defense, I could do with no problem. I'm a violent person by nature and no, before anyone say it's because all the violent video games I play or whatever, violent people are attracted to violent things.

Someone who was not predetermined with such a trait, I would have a hard time finding them being violent because of a game. Hinata is an example where even though she was trained to fight and possibly kill, she's still the nicest person around. I doubt she'd ever lash out without good reason. So no, that's my stand on violent games… that and they're awesome! Come on, admit it, everyone loves a good explosion.

Of course, violent stories weren't the only things I learned from him when he was home. Tesuri was an awesome cook, better than Somuku. He could skin and fillet a fish with a cleaver. A cleaver! That thing's like a butcher knife, and he could do such delicate work that non-chefs would need a specific knife to get the same results. He was also skilled at sewing and embroidering, though I shouldn't be surprise by either skill. Since he was an iryo-nin, he would need to know how to handle a blade against flesh and how to stitch it back up after he was done.

Let me tell you, learning from Tesuri was a thousand times harder than learning from Somuku. The things Somuku taught didn't need perfection, only concentration and determination. Even if I screwed up, it could be fixed. The things Tesuri taught, needed patience and a steady hand. Screwing up meant ruination.

"…It's not that bad," chuckled Tesuri as I scowled at my uneven slices of daikon.

"I could see through yours," I huffed, puffing my cheeks.

"You'll get it eventually," he rubbed the top of my head before lifting me from the high stool I was standing on. "Why don't you work on your embroidery?"

"… It's ugly," I said in a deadpan.

"How about you go ask your mom to do something with you?" chirped Tou-san as he placed me on the ground with a grin.

I blew out the air I used to puff up my cheeks. "Okay…" I relented and raced out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Kaa-san had her calligraphy set out, but she wasn't writing. Next to her, there was a neat pile of scrolls labeled and color-coded.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I pulled out a chair and crawled up on the seat. I hate being so small; it made everything so much harder.

Somuku smiled at me as she turned the scroll for me to see. At first I thought it was a drawing of something, but with a closer look, there were symbols around the edges of the paper in almost a circular design. Kaa-san knows how to make seals?

"What is it?" I asked. I know it's a seal, but she doesn't know that. And even if I knew it was a seal, I have no clue which one it was. They all looked like wiggly lines to me.

"It's a seal the makes healing easier," answered Somuku. "It's for the hospital."

"Does it do what Tou-san does?" I asked curiously.

She shook her head. "What your dad does is complicated and very hard for most people to use."

I tilted my head. "And this doesn't do that?"

"This, let's you see where someone is hurt," she answered.

"…How?" I frowned in confusion.

Somuku grinned as she tapped above my right eye lightly. I blinked when I felt chakra rushing to that eye. After a moment of distortion, I saw a faint green glow over Kaa-san's body.

"You look green," I pointed at her, but then noticed my fingers glowed specks of yellow. I paused and glanced at my hand with great interest.

"What do you see?"

"There are yellow dots, but everything else is green," I rubbed them together wondering if it's just dirty. I jumped when I felt a slight throb from all the pinpricks I made while embroidering. "Oh! I'm hurt! That's why it's a different color!"

"Very good!" she clapped encouragingly. "Do you want to learn how to make seals?"

"Yeah!" I nodded quickly. Making seals was probably the closest thing to modern technology and it wastes less chakra compared to jutsu. Anyone with a brain would learn that if given the chance.

Except… I have no talent whatsoever in making seals. Remember what I said about my calligraphy skills? Yeah, apparently, you need to be really and I mean _really _good at writing neatly. I can't even color in the lines to save my life much less write in a straight line. However, it doesn't mean I can't use seals made by other people. Most of Kaa-san's weaker seals, I could activate without much hassle. Found that one the hard way when I nearly blew up the living room with an explosive tag.

Good thing Kaa-san noticed in time and canceled it or else it'd be bye-bye Kasa in this lifetime. After that, Kaa-san placed me through seal tests with heavy supervision. Turns out, even though I can't make a seal to save my life, I have the inherent ability as an activator, as long as the seal was well made. Of course, that means nothing if I don't have the chakra capacity to activate them with or seals to use. So unless I find a seal master in the future as my partner, my natural talent was useless.

By the time I turned four, the civil war ravaged the decrepit remains of Ame. Never before was I so glad that violence and gore didn't bother me in the least because that was the year Tou-san and Kaa-san decided we need to leave Ame. The separate factions tore the village apart. Either they declare loyalty to Hanzo or they join the rebellion, no neutral parties were allowed. Tesuri as an iryo-nin was invaluable for the dying shinobi and Somuku as the only sealing expert in the village was in high demand for her storage seals and explosive tags.

It was obvious that Hanzo was considerably stronger than the rebels, but at the same time his ruling was not in the best interest of Ame's citizens. If they joined one side, it was a death warrant from the other. Their skills would benefit whichever side they joined greatly and it was tactically not allowed. Fleeing was the only option.

However, since they sided with neither faction they became the enemy of both.

"Somuku, take Kasa and run!" shouted Tou-san as he and Kaa-san weaved through the forest.

"Don't be stupid! You're an iryo-nin! They'll destroy you!" argued Somuku.

I stayed quiet as they yelled at one another. What could I say anyway? We were being pursued; any distraction I make would mean the end of us. It was bad enough that I needed to be carried like a sack of potatoes.

"I'm not going to let you and Kasa die here like this!" snapped Tesuri as he shoved me into her arms. "You are taking Kasa and that's final!"

Her eyes grew tense as she stopped on a branch.

"What are you doing?" shouted Tesuri as he caught himself on the next branch over.

"I have a better chance of surviving than you. And if Kasa gets hurt, you are the better healer," she reasoned quietly as she placed me down on the branch.

"Somuku, please!" begged Tesuri, but his pleads was unheard as more Ame-nin approached.

"Kasa," she whispered, her lips pressed against my forehead as she held me tightly.

"…Kaa-san?" My voice wavered as she bit back a sob.

"Be a good girl and take care of your dad and yourself okay?" she whispered. "I won't be around anymore."

"Kaa-san." I whispered, a lump catching at my throat making it hard to say anything else.

"You remember how to write your name right?"

I looked at her in puzzlement and nodded.

"Good. Remember it and you'll never be alone." My face grew wet as she grabbed onto my arms. "I love you my little Kasa."

"I… love you too Kaa-san," I murmured.

"Somuku! They're here!" Tesuri shouted as he raced back towards us.

"Stay strong Kasa," said Kaa-san before her hands grew hot against my arms.

"Kaa-san what are you—" I never finished when a scream ripped out of my throat from the searing pain on my arms.

"Transcript Sealing: Memory Transfer!" She shouted, burning a black seal permanently onto my arms. "Tesuri! Take her now!"

I couldn't even cry when she shoved me into his arms.

"Somuku—"

"I love you," she pressed a kiss against his lips before planting a hand on each of us. "Uzumaki Hijutsu: Jikukan Kekkai!"

The world grew dark as the last image of my mother turned to face the oncoming Ame-nin.

* * *

Author's Note: Was anyone really surprised that mommy dearest was part of the Uzumaki clan? The series stated after Uzu was destroyed, the Uzumaki clan dispersed into the surrounding nations. Considering Karin's family ended up in Grass, it's not hard to think maybe some of them made it to Ame.

And before I get a barrage of tomatoes, let me clarify that the memory transfer doesn't give Kasa Somuku's skills. Oh, she'll know what her mother can do, but doing it herself is a whole different story. Think of it as a manual… with very little directions. That and also, she can't make seals to save her life. The sealing art is not going to be a big part of her repertoire of skills. Oh, she'll used seals on her arms, but those are set skills from Somuku and Kasa would still have to learn how to use it.

Most jutsus I would try to use an English name. However, I'm guilty of thinking the Japanese one looks cooler in comparison. I'll place a translation at the bottom if I do end up using the Japanese name.

Lastly, the usage of Japanese phrases. To be honest, I'll avoid as much as I can, sans the honorifics like san, chan, kun, sama and dono just because those simply can't be translated. Aside from Kaa-san and Tou-san, used by Kasa, it won't be used by anyone else. To her, these were alternative names she uses out loud; she doesn't treat them as a title for a parent. When she finally does consider someone as such, I'll switch to using the proper English word for it.

** Jutsu List**

**Uzumaki Hijutsu: Jikukan Kekkai**- Uzumaki Secret Technique: Teleportation Barrier


	3. Chapter Two: Lost and Found

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Two: Lost and Found**

"_I love you._" Those were the last words my mother said before she promptly shot our ass with a family special teleportation jutsu. And how cool is it that she's an Uzumaki? I should've see it coming with the calligraphy and everything… but you know I'm like awesome and…

Who am I kidding? This wasn't cool. It's not even funny. So what if she was an Uzumaki? So what if she was a seal expert? Why does it matter? I'm not going to see her ever again. Why did she have to say I love you? They're such clichéd last words. Definite and final…

Damn it, I hate goodbyes.

Albeit, not as much as I hate the darkness. My senses were dulled, if not useless. I could barely hear, barely breath, barely move. Only the searing pain on my arms kept me from slipping into sleep. I had no clue where I was and I couldn't tell if Tesuri was still with me. Pain was all I knew. The pulsing, the burning, it felt like it was eating away at my arms. Oh, what'd I give to stop this pain!

"It hurts…" I whimpered, sobbing as I curled into myself.

"Hey," whispered a soft voice. "Don't cry."

I flinched, but I couldn't see anyone.

"Are you lost?" asked the voice tiredly.

I know I shouldn't trust strange voices, but his… sounded nice.

"I don't know where I am. I don't know where Tou-san is." I felt my voice waver as it threatened to crack into another sob. I don't care if I'm being a crybaby. "It's dark, I can't see anything! I want Kaa-san! I want Tou-san! I want to go home!"

"Shh… Calm down, can you do that?" he hushed gently as I fought back tears. "I know you're scared. It could be very scary in the dark. I can't see anything either, but you know what?"

I hiccupped. "What?"

"It's not as scary when you have a friend right?" He asked.

"Friend?" I asked warily, a disembodied voice offering friendship. Who would ever question that? That's totally legit, I'm serious. Don't believe me? Yeah, I don't believe me either.

"Yeah, you want to be my friend?" He asked.

"…Mommy said I'm not supposed to talk to people I don't know. Stranger-danger." I said childishly. There's not much I could do regardless if he decides to do something.

He chuckled, wheezing with his weak laugh. He sounded like he was in pain. "How about we get to know each other? Then we wouldn't be strangers right? We're not going anywhere soon and talking makes the pain hurt less right?"

I paused, he was right. My arms didn't burn as much.

"How about we start with an introduction?"

"Introduction?" I raised a brow, not that he could see it.

"You know, like where you're from, likes and dislikes, hobbies, dreams, stuff like that."

I kept quiet. Likes, dislikes, hobbies and dreams? Why does that sound so familiar?

"Ignoring me huh? How about I start first and you can go afterwards?" He offered before promptly going into his self-introduction. "I'm from Konoha, a chunin. My hobbies include making people smile and helping seniors."

I stiffened at those words as I tried to find the source of the voice.

"I have a girl I liked for the longest time, still do. Kind of wish I could've told her that…"

Why would _he_ be here? I should still be in Ame territory. How far did Kaa-san's jutsu shoot me? And why was he here? Did _that_ happen already?

"I dislike stuck ups and people who betray their friends and comrades."

Shit, what do I do?

"My dream?" He chuckled weakly. "Well, I had one. It was kind of nice."

"…What was your dream?" I ended up asking lamely, not knowing what to say. I knew who this was, but what do I do about it? What _could _I do?

"Tsk, tsk, no cheating." He teased. "You have to tell me something about yourself."

"I'm four," I mumbled.

"Four?" he said in exaggerated amazement. "Your mommy must be so proud that you're a big girl now!"

"My mommy's dead," I said in a deadpan. I don't need his babying right now.

"Oh," murmured the voice quietly. "What about your dad? He's still around right?"

"I dunno. Tou-san was with me before we got separated." I answered truthfully.

"Maybe he's—" a violent cough tore through him, leaving him groaning in pain.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, knowing full well he was probably more hurt than he was showing.

"Don't worry about it," he rasped after catching his breath. "Hey, you're not scared anymore right?"

"No… but where are you?" I asked, crawling onto my knees.

There wasn't much space for me to move. I'm probably stuck under whatever rubble he's surrounded in. That would explain the darkness. I could feel the dirt under my hands and hear the gravel grinding beneath my shoes. Definitely not a forest in Ame, it's too dry and smelled nothing like the humid forests constantly drenched in rain.

"Probably under a big rock. I wouldn't look for me if I were you. I'm not very pretty right now." He joked with a weak laugh.

"That's okay, you still have a pretty voice," I replied, crouching low trying to follow his voice.

"Pretty voice?" He mused. "Listen, why don't you go find your dad? You can't help me. Half my body's crushed."

"Tou-san is a iryo-nin, he can fix you." I retorted stubbornly. I could hear him, but I can't tell where he was.

He chuckled again, his voice growing weaker with each wheeze. "Even the best iryo-nin can't… put me… back… together..."

"Hey!" I cried out in alarm at his fading voice. "You're not going to leave me alone are you?"

Silence.

No, no, no! Was he taken? Was he dead? How am I going to get out of here? I don't want to die here. I sniffled loudly as I felt a lump gathered at my throat. Don't cry. Crying won't help.

"Some friend you are." I hiccupped, wiping my drippy nose on the shoulder of my shirt. "Leaving me alone in the dark."

"Heh," a weak laugh caught my ear before a familiar blue light lit up the cramp space. "I wouldn't do that."

"You're still here!" I said in surprise as I crawled towards the light. I was lucky I was so small or else I wouldn't be able to crawl through the tight space between the rubble.

"I'm not that mean," he rasped weakly when I finally made my way to his side. He was charging chakra to his hand to illuminate the darkness, it was weak compared to what Kaa-san and Tou-san could do. He must be near death by now.

"You didn't answer me when I called out." I huffed, taking note what he looked like for the first time.

Surprisingly, he wasn't really under a big boulder. At least not anymore, the boulder that crushed him was propped up by an uplift of earth. Mostly the work of a jutsu I supposed. I grimaced at the sight of his body, half crushed and missing an eye.

"Sorry," he whispered with a wheeze. "It's a bit hard to talk when you have one lung collapsed."

"…Does it hurt?" I asked, scooting closer to him. The light from his chakra faded and we were in darkness again.

"Dunno, can't really feel much." He mumbled before he chuckled. "You cheated."

"Huh?" I tilted my head in confusion, not that he could see it.

"You didn't tell me anything about yourself." He quipped.

I gapped in disbelief. We're _trapped_ in a pile of rubble with one severely injured and neither certain how to get out of this mess. And this guy wants to go through common pleasantries? I found myself giggling at the absurdity of it all.

"Hey, it's not that funny." I could hear the pout in his voice.

"My name's Kasa Mon. I'm from Ame." I answered, deciding to save him from the indignity.

"You're from rain and your parents named you umbrella?" I don't need light to see him raising an eyebrow at that. Somehow, I just know my name's going to be a running joke for a while.

I puffed up my cheeks. "Like your name is any better!"

"Of course my name is awesome! I'm Obito Uchiha! The most badass ninja of Konoha!" He boasted.

"…You're trapped under a pile of rocks." I replied in deadpan.

"…Minor setback." He retorted before another round of coughs wracked his body.

We sat in silence as he struggled to control his coughs. I wrapped my arms around my knees and curled into myself feeling both helpless and useless. It sucks being a child.

"Hey," he croaked, his voice destroyed from the violent coughs. "Give me your hand."

"Why?" I asked, my voice muffled against my legs.

"Come on, don't you trust me?" He said gently.

I shrugged, sliding my hand against the ground, blindly reaching for his. His hand found mine with ease as he gripped it comfortingly. It was rough with cuts and callouses, but warm.

"Sorry." He murmured.

"For what?" I asked.

"For being a horrible friend." He said with a sheepish chuckle. "I'll try to keep it bright for as long as I can for you though."

"…You're dying." I mumbled.

"Yeah," he answered softly, surprisingly, without an ounce of fear in his tired voice. "Sorry for leaving you alone."

The comforting warmth of chakra covered my hand as he lit up the small space. I was terrified, he was dying and that meant Madara was coming. He had reason to save and help Obito, but I doubt he'll have any for a girl he knows nothing about. What do I do? My arms burned. I bit back a whimper as I grasped desperately for any form of comfort.

I ended up grasping chakra, not Obito's, but mine. The burn on my arms grew unbearably hot. With my free hand, I pressed it against the left seal. I didn't want to let go of Obtio's comforting hand.

What I didn't expect was a barrage of images of my mother performing various acts of healing, most through seals and delicate chakra manipulation. All useless, considering I have no clue how to channel chakra or draw seals. Just as I was ready to give up hope, there was one among the barrage that didn't require channeling chakra or medical knowledge.

"Obito, open your mouth." I grunted through the burning pain.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?" He asked weakly with concern.

"I'm going to fix you." I wheezed. The images were slowing, but not yet abated.

"How? I told you even the best iryo-nin can't—" I cut him off, shoving my hand into his mouth. He bit down in surprise, not expecting me to do something so sudden.

I grimaced at the bite as he started to glow green. His eye widened as the crushed half of his body slowly inflated and healed. I felt my body slump against his at the rapid drain of my chakra. I doubt it would completely heal him, since a child wouldn't be able to produce enough chakra to do so, but it should be enough to keep him from dying. I think…

"Kasa?" Obito spat out my hand when the glow was gone.

"Tired…" I murmured in a sleepy slur. My eyes drifted close as he shifted to his knees, cradling me in the narrow space as he moved. From the sound of his breath, he was still winded and in pain, but from his movements, he could at least use all his limbs.

"Hold on, I'll get us out," murmured Obito. The muscles on his arms twitch, shifting around me as he made his hand seals. I didn't catch what jutsu he used before I drifted into unconsciousness. I sorely hope Madara doesn't kill me while I'm asleep. It'd suck to die again before I could do anything fun.

* * *

When I woke again, it was to the wet morning dew and the smell of a burned out campfire. It brought back camping memories in my previous life.

"Looks like the sleeping princess is awake," teased Obito playfully next to me.

I sat up with a grimace, rubbing the crud out of my eyes as I blinked the sleep away. It was morning; sunlight peeked through the forest foliage. My arms were bandaged carefully with special attention to the hand where I was bitten. The small fire pit was on its last embers when Obito buried it with the pile of dirt that was likely dug from the pit.

His face was bandaged, covering the empty socket that was his left eye. The sleeve to his right arm was gone, used to tie a splint to his leg right leg. Probably still broken, but at least not crushed. His right arm was heavily bruised, covered in purple and blue. His hands were red with cuts and scratches. He must've run out of bandages after covering his eye and my arms.

"How are you feeling?" asked Obito with a friendly smile on his face.

"…You're still here." I said in surprise. Where was Madara?

"Did I give you _that_ bad of a first impression?" whined Obito. "You think I'm going to leave you after you saved me? No way! You're sticking with me until you find your dad."

"…But I don't know where he is." I mumbled.

"Hmm…" He hummed, holding his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Then you'll just have to come back with me to Konoha!"

I stared at him in surprise.

"You can stay with me and wait for your dad to show up." He grinned with his arms behind his head. "I'm sure we'll find a way to contact him eventually."

Why was fate so cruel to someone as nice as Obito? He was selfless in sacrificing himself to save a teammate and even gave up an eye in his last moments to ensure his survival. How is it fair that he keeps facing one horror after another?

"What do you say?" His grinned never faded as he waited through my silence.

"…Sure," I answered with a weak grin of my own.

"Great," he ruffled my hair. "Konoha's a great place. You'll love it there!"

I moved to get up, but my legs gave way and I hit the ground flat on my face. My stomach growled loudly. Blood rushed to my face with heated embarrassment as I pushed myself off the ground. Obito took all of two seconds before he cracked up laughing at my predicament.

"Shut up!" I grumbled, rubbing my nose.

"Sorry! Sorry!" He said between laughs as he rummaged through his pouch. "I have some ration bars, they're not tasty, but that'll have to hold you over until we reach a Konoha outpost or a village."

I took the bars, glaring at him. "You're still laughing."

"You have something on your nose." He sniggered and picked up a sturdy looking stick he likely found earlier to use as a crutch.

"Hey!" I retorted childishly.

The ration bars weren't that bad, I've had worse. No really, I've had worse. Ever try rotten shark meat? It's beyond putrid. It feels like putting death in your mouth. Why would I even know what that tastes like? Call it curiosity or stupidity if you want. However, it did make me appreciate food that doesn't taste like death all the more. Though, the bars were a bit on the bland side.

"So, what was that thing you did back there to heal me? A jutsu? A kekkai genkai?" asked Obito as we traveled. He moved slowly with his limp, grimacing every now and then. He tries to hide it whenever it happens, but it's hard not to notice when we take breaks every fifteen minutes.

"I dunno, what's a kekkai genkai?" I lied.

Kekkai genkai wasn't common knowledge outside of families that did have them. At least I don't think so. I know the healing bite is one of Karin's skills and she's an Uzumaki decent, but I'm not sure if it's restricted to them. They're probably the only clan in this world who has a high enough vitality to pull it off and use it in battle. Not surprising considering how much of a drain it takes. Man, how does Karin do it so often? I'm exhausted.

"Ah… Never mind then." He waved it off, not wanting to get into a long explanation.

By mid-day, we couldn't have gone more than seven miles by foot. Sad, considering I could've walk that in less than two hours in my old body. Obito must be in really bad shape.

"Do you want to bite me again?" I asked when I saw him wheezing and leaning against his makeshift clutch.

"No," he declined firmly and gave a weak laugh and teased. "You could barely keep up yourself. If I bite you again, I might just have to carry you for the rest of the way. Do you want a piggyback ride that much?"

I puffed up my cheeks indignantly. How many years of this babying am I going to have to live through? However, as much as I hated the babying, he was right. I could barely keep up myself. It was a hassle to put one foot in front of the other as it is. I needed the breaks just as much as he did. Even if my old body was used to activities like hiking, my body right now was one of a child. A child that's never done more than an hour's worth of walking in the market and needed mommy to carry her back on the ten-minute walk home.

"We'll take a break before we move on. Thirsty?" He offered his water bottle. We managed to pass by a river in the forest.

Any competent survival instructor would tell you to never drink untreated water, less you want to get sick and face a nasty case of the runs. Fortunately, Obito's pack had water-purifying tablets. I'm guessing that's the equivalent of iodine drops here. His pack got considerably smaller with each ration bar we ate. Not that it was big to begin with. I don't think he has any storage scrolls on him either. I hope we get to a town or something before we're out of food.

"Look it here, a Konoha-nin all alone with a little brat," drawled a smug voice. A glance at his hitai-ate noted he was an Iwa-nin.

Shit, scratch worry about running out of food. We need to worry about surviving. Obito pushed me behind him as he stood his ground, holding his makeshift crutch like a staff.

"You think you can take me on?" said Obito confidently. "I'm Obito Uchiha! I could take you on any day with my arms tied behind my back!" He was _so _bluffing.

The Iwa-nin laughed, not buying his bluff. It's not hard with the amount of bandages on Obito's face, his horribly bruised arm and limping leg. Really, if you're going to make a bluff like that, do it when you don't look like you just crawled out from death's door.

"An Uchiha huh?" drawled the man. "That means you have the sharingan right?"

Not sure if I should do a face palm or bash my head into the nearest tree. His bluff, not only did it fail, he also let slip he has the freaking sharingan. Genius!

"Well, Mr. Big-Shot. Looks like you lost one of your eyes. I'll be nice and even that out for you!" He promptly threw shurikens at us.

Obito slipped an arm around my waist and carried me like a sack of potatoes as he dodged out of harm's way. He gritted his teeth through the pain with each step. No doubt running on adrenaline by this point. Using his stick, he deflected what he could, but his bruised arm was slow to respond.

It didn't take long before a stray shuriken grazed him arm and his was forced to drop his crutch. The Iwa-nin took the opening and closed the distance with a drop kick from above. Obito pulled me to his chest as we dropped to the ground like dead weight.

"You okay?" grunted Obito through the pain as I scampered off him.

"Obito get up!" I pulled at his good arm, but he was spent. He couldn't move.

"Kasa, you have to run," hissed Obito as he pulled my arm off him.

"No!" I shook my head stubbornly and pushed my hand out to him. "You can bite me again! If you're healed, you can fight right?"

"Kasa!" warned Obito angrily as he shoved it away. "Run! You'll die if you stay."

"No!" I snapped back.

The Iwa-nin laughed loudly. "Isn't this sweet, you're squabbling in your last breath."

I glanced at him, my heart racing and my body shaking in exhaustion and fear. We're going to die. He's going to kill us. We're going die. He's going to kill us.

"Help." I squeaked out pathetically begging for anyone out here to help us, even Madara would be welcomed at this point.

"No one's around kid. Shout all you want," said the Iwa-nin, but stopped when Obito pulled out another kunai and pressed it under his remaining eye.

My body trembled, a lump caught at my throat too. I was terrified to say anything. Obito slipped his arm around me and pulled me close to his chest. My vision blurred with tears threatening to spill. He kept a comforting hand at the back of my head.

"Let her go or I'll destroy this eye," interrupted Obito, no doubt red with the sharingan. He was haggling for my life. "If you want it, she goes free. No tricks."

"Really?" drawled the Iwa-nin. "No tricks?"

"None. Just let her go," bargained the Uchiha.

"Hmm…" hummed the enemy ninja as he pretended to think. "No. I don't think I will."

Before Obito could gouge out his own eye, the kunai was knocked out of his hand and a figure hovered over us defensively.

"Ninja Art: Poison Mist!" shouted a familiar voice as a billow of purple cloud shot towards the Iwa-nin.

A second later, both Obito and I were scooped from the ground and dashed away from the spreading cloud of poison. The Iwa-nin gasped, gagging and choking to death in the poisonous mist before he hit the ground. He won't be following us.

Obito sighed in exhaustion as he gripped his arm around me tightly trying to calm my tremors. I clung onto him whimpering, fighting off the desire to bawl and sob hysterically.

"It's okay Kasa. I've got you," soothed a familiar voice. I glanced up unable to see through the blur of tears, but I could recognize the familiar shade of blue hair.

"T-Tou-san?" I hiccupped.

"It's okay honey, I got you," whispered Tesuri as he adjusted his grip on Obito and myself.

Relieved, I cried my heart out, clinging to Obito and drenching his shirt. The Uchiha pressed a comforting hand behind my head and allowed me to cry into his chest.

* * *

Author's Notes: I know I'm cheating a little with Karin's healing bite, but to be fair, there's not much else she could do at this age. Here, we get to see a little bit what the seals on her arms do. Again, it's a manual, but it doesn't mean she automatically knows how to use it. Same as having a recipe book, but you still have to figure out how to cook the food.

The issue with Madara, the manga wasn't exactly clear on how Madara saved Obito. Since he's attached to whatever that thing is I doubt he went out and dug Obito out. He could've had Zetsu do it I suppose, but I'm going to make a little leeway since in the manga Obito woke up in this "in between world" that's not living or dead. I'll reason he didn't get Obito here because he technically didn't "die" so he couldn't have kidnapped him as he was heading towards death's door while pass through in between world.

As for Obito's heroism, offering his eye to save Kasa, young Obito, before he became Tobi, was an extremely kind person. He goes out of the way to help people even if it inconveniences him. Here, Kasa is a little helpless kid. He doesn't know she's not really a kid and even if he did, he wouldn't let her die anyway. It's not in his character to abandon people.

A couple more points I need to bring up with Japanese usage. The villages for the most part and its ninjas, I will likely keep their Japanese name, like Konoha, Ame, Suna, etc. And its ninjas would be Konoha-nin, Ame-nin, Suna-nin, etc. Terms like Hitai-ate and Kekkai Genkai, I'm not going to bother translating because it's kind of obvious what those are, but I'll list the base word for the villages here for those who have no clue what they are, the ones I'm most likely going to use for the majority of the story at least.

**Village List**

**Konoha- **Leaf

**Suna- **Sand

**Ame-** Rain

**Iwa- **Stone

**Kumo-** Cloud

**Kiri-** Mist

**Kusa-** Grass

**Oto-** Sound

**-gakure- **Village Hidden in the (used in conjunction with the prefixes listed above)


	4. Chapter Three: Trust and Realization

Author's Note: Minor note before moving on. There's a slight change in chapter one to fix a timeline issue that fumbled the order of events between the second and third shinobi war and the ages of certain characters. Aside from that, enjoy the rest of the story!

* * *

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Three: Trust and Realization**

Two days ago, I lost Kaa-san and got separated from Tou-san. While I was lost, I made friends with Obito, the future evil villain of the world, under a pile of rubble. I somehow figured out how to activate the seals, left by my possibly dead mother, on my arms and learned that I have a unique healing ability that permanently scars me for life each time I use it. I then found out, I'm… not a really good healer as Obito was still half dead when we got out from the rubble.

Once we were out, we made happy plans to skip back to Konoha hand-in-hand only to get assaulted by an evil Iwa-nin. The evil ninja kicked our ass and tried to steal Obito's eye. Oh, he also tried to kill us. Luckily, Tesuri found us and killed the bastard in cold blood. Then he proceeded to heal Obito and we all lived happily ever after in a land of sunshine, unicorns and fairies.

No, before you say I've finally lost it, I haven't. I am still perfectly sane. I'm the sanest person in the room. Super sane even. Still don't believe me? Fine, think what you want. I'm still going to mentally repress the trauma of this event in the form of a children's coloring book, drawn with neon crayons and rainbows…with stickers.

Joking aside, we didn't get to Konoha immediately after defeating the Iwa-nin. How could we? We're at the border of the Land of Fire. It would take a week to get there by foot with sufficient supplies. At the moment, not only do we not have supplies, we also have an injured Uchiha that happens to have a valuable kekkai genkai that's worth stealing.

To top it off, that's not even the worst news. The worst would be that the Iwa-nin, Tesuri took out, was a scout from a bigger team of Iwa-nin. You know the saying where if you see one roach, there would be many more in hiding? Yeah, this is exactly that situation. If they were unaware of us, we could've at least hide and wait it out. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case and we were pursued with barely any time in between for rest or healing.

"Kasa, keep quiet and stay out of sight," whispered Tou-san after healing what he could on Obito. "I'll draw their attention away."

I move to argue against the bad parody of mom's last moments, but he held a hand over my mouth, stopping my protests.

"None of that right now. I'll come back for you, but until then. Stay alive," said Tesuri as he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out what looked like a strange string of charms and tied it around my neck. "Don't lose this. This will keep you safe."

"Boy, can you hear me?" He directed the question to Obito, who nodded tiredly without opening his eye. "I saw what you did back there for Kasa. Thank you. Please keep her safe for a while longer."

"Heh," chuckled Obito softly. "No prob, but I'm not in the best condition to do anything."

"If worst comes to worst, Kasa will know what to do," replied Tesuri.

Wait, what? What do you mean I know what to do? Do what? I wanted to ask, but his firm hand remained clasped over my mouth, preventing me form doing so.

"Remember, stay quiet, stay safe. I'll find you again," promised Tesuri as he planted one last kiss on my forehead before leaving the hollow tree and covered the opening with various shrubs from the surrounding area.

I wanted to scream after him and ask what the hell did he mean when he said, 'I would know what to do,' but the words never left my mouth as everything grew silent around me.

"Don't worry," whispered Obito reassuringly. "Your dad will be fine."

I sighed. He'll be fine, but what about us? You know, at this rate I should be developing some separation anxiety issues with how often I seem to keep get left behind. I hugged my legs to my chest as we listened to the pursuit outside the safety of our hideout. Neither of us said anything as we silently tried to count how many Iwa-nins there were.

One hour, two and eventually it started raining.

"I think they're gone," murmured Obito.

"Can you move?" I asked. "Tou-san healed you didn't he?"

"Not at the moment," grunted Obito as he tried to shift his weight. "While iryo-ninjitsu is amazing in healing injuries, there's a draw back that it eats a lot of chakra from both the medic and patient. I can't do much until my chakra stores recover. Might take a while."

I rested my chin on my knee. "So, do we just wait?"

"Yeah, and hope the rain keeps them from finding us," noted Obito.

I nodded quietly as it grew quiet between us. Even though I should be thankful for this downpour, I still hate the rain.

"Hey, Kasa," started Obito.

"Hmm?" I glanced at him and noticed he held his hand out.

"Give me your hand." He grinned despite the exhaustion on his face.

I found myself smiling as I grabbed onto his hand. Unlike last time, his hand didn't glow with chakra, but that didn't make it any less warm and comforting. This was his way of saying everything will be fine. Any other time, I would be skeptical with that sort of belief, but with Obito… it doesn't hurt to indulge on a little hope.

The rain continued on with Obito drifting to sleep, lulled by the pitter-patter of raindrops. Normally, I would succumb to the rain's lullaby, but something about what Tesuri said earlier bugged me. I tugged on the rustic looking necklace and stared at the odd looking charms dangling from the string. Five different charms, all evenly spaced.

_Don't lose this. This will keep you safe._

What did he mean by that? I studied each of the individual charms with interest. They seemed a bit random in design, what with wings, balls and a circle plate? They were evenly spaced, attached to the string by different colored rings. There must be something special about it, why else would he give it to me? I stared at it a bit longer hoping to find something, but there was nothing to be noted.

"Maybe it's one of those luck charms from the temple or shrines." I muttered under my breath and dropped it back around my neck. "I wonder how long this rain will last?"

Eventually, the rain lulled me to sleep too.

* * *

"Come on Kasa," said Obito as he pulled me out of our hollow tree the next morning.

His complexion looked better, but not by much with his arms still covered in various shades of purple and blue. On the bright side, the limp in his gait was gone. Tesuri must've fixed it before he left, thinking it was better to have a fully useable leg to run away than a half healed body in an uneven fight.

Despite his bruised arms, he scooped me up and raced through the treetops. Logically, that was the safer option considering my current pace would be slower and raise a higher chance of running into enemies. Still, it must hurt to have me pressed against all those bruises and jostling around each time he jumped.

"There should be a Konoha outpost near here. If we can get there, we should be fine," noted Obito he raced through the trees.

I must say, I'm impressed with his depth perception given it couldn't have been more than two or three days since he lost his eye. Or maybe he was using his sharingan to compensate? I glanced up at his eye, still dark, not the sharingan then.

"What do you want to do first when we get back to Konoha?" asked Obito offhandedly to pass the time.

"Huh?" I glanced at him, confused.

"Since your dad left you with me, you're coming back to Konoha with me. So, what do you want to do first when we get back?"

… We're not even sure if we could make it to the outpost alive yet and he wants to make plans back at Konoha? Was he delusional or just optimistic? Seeing the grin on his face, he might be both.

"I don't know." I shrugged, regretting it a little when I saw him bite back a wince. "What do you want to do?"

"Hmm… good question. What should I do when I get back?" pondered Obito as he jumped pass a tangle of branches and headed upwards for another tree. "I should probably find my team and tell them I'm alive." A snigger escaped him as he lingered on the thought. "Can you image their faces when they find out? Oh! Or maybe I should prank them and pretend to be a ghost or something."

"That's mean." I bit my lower lip, resisting the urge to crack up laughing.

"But funny," quipped Obito with a wink. Probably not the best thing to do while running on treetop, considering he only has one eye. "Whoa!" He tripped, clenching to me tightly as he resist the urge to flail and drop me. He stuck his feet on the tree using chakra and did a weird worm wiggle to catch his balance.

I covered my mouth to stifle the chortle that escaped. This guy was too much.

"Whew! That was a close one!" He grinned sheepishly, not all that embarrassed by his foul up.

I lost it and cracked up laughing.

"Now that's much better," chirped Obito. "We're almost there, no more frowns okay?"

I reined my uncontrollable laughter down to a snigger before nodding. It wasn't until much later that I realized what Obito managed to do what even Tesuri and Somuku couldn't. He made me genuinely laugh, utterly winning me over. Despite the fact he nearly killed me with his clumsiness earlier and the possibility of becoming the murderous Tobi, I can't help but like him.

Man, I do not look forward to facing him as Tobi.

"Identify yourself," ordered the outpost guards defensively with their kunais in sight.

Obito made sure his hitai-ate was shown clearly as he placed me down on the ground next to him. "Obito Uchiha, chunin, I was separated from my team several days ago after an ambush in the forest, 40 kilometers northwest. I have a civilian with me."

"Uchiha?" The two guards raised a brow, not all that surprised. Maybe his death wasn't common knowledge yet?. "Do you have identification codes?"

"Code?" Obito blanched at the question and rolled his eyes skywards in annoyance. "Ah crap! Minato sensei and that bastard Kakashi usually dealt with those!" He groaned, resisting the urge to drop to the ground and sulk.

The guards stood cautious, raising their kunais at the ready.

"Obito?" Why did he have to choose this moment to be an idiot?

The Uchiha muttered a mantra under his breath as if reciting something from memory. He was reciting another verse before he snapped his fingers in realization. "I'm an idiot! Duh! I'm an Uchiha, can't believe I could finally use this stupid code. The crimson moon sets upon a sea of blood," recited Obito, flaring his sharingan to life.

I bit back a grimace. Really? The term red moon was a part of the Uchiha identification codes? How lazy can Madara get, using his old village's identification code for his new organization? Then again, being such a badass and having a dangerous group of S-Class missing-nins on his side... I'll be quiet now.

The guards didn't relax. "…You don't act like an Uchiha."

Obito nearly planted his face to the ground. "You've got to be kidding me!" snapped the one-eyed Uchiha. "Of all the—I finally get my sharingan as proof to use that stupid code and you say I don't act like an Uchiha? What kind of bull shit is this?"

"Do you have another code?" asked the guards.

"This is harassment!" griped Obito.

The guards slipped into a defensive stance.

"Okay, okay!" Obito held up his free hand defensively as he wracked his brains for an answer. "Uh… uh…?"

"How about you tell me why you're late again instead? Obito-kun," interrupted a feminine voice.

Obito's eyes lit up as a bright grin crossed his face. I followed his line of sight and noticed a familiar shade of red hair. Kaa-san? No. Not her, but she had the same shade. I couldn't help but stare. "Kushina-san!" shouted the Uchiha in relief.

The woman smiled, but it wasn't a genuine one. "You didn't answer my question Obito-kun. You were so late that Minato told me that your team now knows you as _the late_ Obito Uchiha."

Had I been less sensible, I would've said, "Ooh, nice word play." However, my desire to stay alive was greater than the desire to crack wise-ass jokes.

Obito scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry! I kind of got lost near the end of the road of life, but then I came across this cute little girl here and she helped me find my way back. She got separated from her parents you know. I couldn't very well just let her wander alone without a friend right?"

... I stared at Obito, completely dumbfounded. Did he just explain what happened to him in the last three days with a_ why I was late_ excuse?

Kushina stared at him for a moment before glancing briefly at me with a curious eye. "He's cleared," said the redheaded kunoichi as her stance relaxed and her fake smiled soften to a genuine one.

The guards glanced between her and Obito before they stood down their guard. "Next time remember your codes," suggested the guard in mild annoyance.

"Will do!" said Obito as he tugged me along and hurried after Kushina. We went as far as ten feet before the woman turned to Obito with the most frightening of smiles.

"Obito-kun," purred the woman dangerously. Her crimson hair took a life of its own as it flailed wildly behind her like demonic limbs. "Don't get lost at the end of the road again."

"K-Kushina-san?" He shrunk under her scrutiny with a comical look of fear on his face.

"Because next time, I'll personally go there. Drag you back in the most gruesome manner possible and eviscerate you piece by piece with my bare hands until you wished you never took a step towards that part of the road." Her smile never faded, but she grew more and more terrifying with each passing second. "Do I make myself clear?"

A horrified squeak escaped the Uchiha's throat as he hastily nodded, too terrified to utter a single word.

"Good, I'm glad we're clear," said the woman with a deceptively sweet smile. Her demonic hair settled back down and she patted Obito's trembling form with a fondness that was commonly used for young children and pets.

I stared at her with growing admiration. Never before have I heard such a beautifully carried out death threat. "You are so… cool..."

Kushina pause in surprise, no doubt, not expecting that response from me.

"How does your hair do that? Can you teach me? It's so pretty!" I wonder if I could learn it? I've never seen Kaa-san do it, so it might not be a Uzumaki thing, but how cool would that be to scare the crap out of people by having your hair look like it was possessed?

Obito turned to me in disbelief as if asking what the hell was wrong with me.

She grinned wryly as I tugged at my hair, doing a mock imitation of what hers did. I'm not exactly sure how genetics work in this world, but I can't seem to make sense of the gene inheritance when it came to hair color.

Normally, if you had parents with different hair colors, you either get one or the other depending on the roulette of recessive or dominate genes, but here, it seems like if you had parents with bizarre hair, you end up with even stranger hair. Using Sakura as a prime example, her mom has blond hair and her dad has this weird dark lavender hue and somehow she ends up with a bright pastel pink color. I on the other hand have a mother with bright red hair and a father with pale blue hair and I end up with this weird blend of dark red and plum.

How does this make any sense?

"Who is this, Obito?" asked Kushina curiously when we reached the living quarters. We were both given a hot drink and something to eat.

The one-eyed Uchiha grinned as he gave me a fond hug; I stumbled to not spill my drink and sent him a glare. "This is Kasa, my little life savior."

"Life savior?" Kushina raised a brow.

"Yep, if not for her I'd be dead," noted Obito proudly.

Kushina frowned. "Explain."

Obito rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he tried to piece together his thoughts. "Uh… what do you know about what happened?"

"Not much. KIA was as much as I got from Minato when I saw him yesterday," answered Kushina.

"They were here?" His eye widened, startled by the news.

"They were coming back from finishing the mission. They looked terrible, especially Kakashi," murmured Kushina quietly.

"Oh." A guilty look crossed Obito's face.

"What happened?" asked Kushina again and glanced at me with a studious eye. I hid behind my cup. Crap, I was so busy worrying about dying, I hadn't thought of how to deal with interrogations.

"We were ambushed, Rin got kidnapped. Kakashi and I had a fight… things happened, but eventually we went after Rin." Obito scratched the side of his face, uncertain how to continue. "We managed to save Rin, but…"

"But?" questioned Kushina.

"We ended up getting trapped in an earth based jutsu," grimaced Obito. "Kakashi injured his eye earlier and he didn't notice a boulder coming at him… so I pushed him away." He laughed sheepishly. "I ended up getting crushed under it instead. Silly huh?"

Kushina's eyes widened. "What?" snapped the woman in disbelief. "What do you mean you were crushed?"

He shrugged. "Crushed, half my body was flattened, I couldn't move or feel anything. We were trapped and they couldn't get me out."

"… Obito…" Kushina's voice grew quiet.

The Uchiha continued. "I told Rin to give Kakashi my eye. It'd be hard for them to escape otherwise if he couldn't fight. He managed to take the guy out, but there were more of them." His eye darkened momentarily as he trailed off.

"They… didn't abandon you did they?" Kushina sounded almost angry.

Obito snapped out of his thoughts and turned to her indignantly. "What? No! I told them to leave me. I made them! If I hadn't they would've been buried along with me! They could've died!"

"You could've died!" snapped Kushina. "What were you thinking?"

"I wanted to protect them! What else could I do?" argued Obito. "To me, they're the most important people in my life along with you and Minato sensei!

Kushina grew silent for a moment, touched by his words before turning her attention to me. "So where does Kasa here come in?"

"I'm not all too sure what happened. I was close to giving up when I heard her crying," admitted Obito. "She was terrified, said her mom was dead. That she was lost and separated from her dad. I couldn't do much at that point aside from talking to her. One thing lead to another and she ended up healing me enough for me to get out of that mess."

"…You said you were crushed under a boulder and practically buried… How did she get there?" asked Kushina with a confused frown.

"The boulder did shift off when I was buried… Maybe she got pulled in?" A thoughtful look crossed Obito's face. "But that doesn't make sense either… We didn't see her before the ambush… Hmm… How did you end up there anyway, Kasa?"

I shrank under both of their gazes. "I don't know." I lied, there was no way I could explain everything without them asking more questions that I know I can't answer without seeming suspicious.

There was no way a little kid can know as much as I do and furthermore, I'm from another village. Despite my young age, they could still suspect me as a plant or a threat. Tou-san was an Ame iryo-nin and Kaa-san supplied them a great deal of seals. Either piece of information could land me a trip to T&I... I have no interest in finding other whether or not Ibiki joined their ranks yet.

"Where are you from Kasa?" pried Kushina.

"She's from Ame," answered Obito. "Her dad's an iryo-nin."

Damn it, Obito!

"You said she healed you… Did she use iryo-ninjitsu?" asked Kushina, her brows knitted together as she tried to make sense of the story. "She's a bit young…"

"No, that's the odd thing," waved Obito to oppose against her suggestion. "It's nothing like the iryo-ninjitsu Rin uses or anything. She didn't use any jutsus or anything. All she did was shove her hand in my mouth and made me bite her."

The red-haired woman froze. "You bit her?"

"She shoved her hand in my mouth!" protested Obito. "I didn't do it on purpose!"

"I'm not berating you," interrupted Kushina before she turning to Kasa. "Are you sure that's what she had you do? What happened afterwards?"

The one-eyed Uchiha scrunched up his face in annoyance. "Yes, I bit her! But it was strange. The instant I bit her, it was as if a wave of iryo-ninjitsu flooded my body and fixed the half that was crushed. It was far from completely healed, but enough for me to use the Earth Style: Hidden Mole to get out of there."

Kushina nursed her lower lip as her eyes shifted rapidly, going through her thoughts a mile a minute. "Kasa, do you still have the bite mark from Obito?"

"Kushina-san!" whined Obito exasperatedly. "You're not going to report me are you? It wasn't even in my control."

"Obito, shut up for a moment," snapped Kushina before asking again. "Kasa-chan, do you still have the bite mark?"

"I don't know. Obito wrapped it up." I answered hesitantly and raised the arm that was covered with bandages from my hand to my elbow.

"May I see?" asked Kushina.

I was reluctant. While she was considered family by blood, technically my parents were both in Ame's service until recently. If memory served me right, in the previous shinobi war, Ame and Konoha were not the best of friends. The fact Obito let slip that Tesuri was an iryo-nin was already against my favor. If they find out my mother was an Uzumaki capable of fuinjutsu… I don't want to know what'd they do to me.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any excuse as to why I couldn't show her my arm. I feared for the worst as I stretched my hand over to her. Kushina made quick work of my bandages and unwrapped it until she saw the bite. A frown crossed her face as she placed a hand over her right eye. A familiar seal danced over her skin before she studied my arm.

It was the diagnostic seal. The same one Kaa-san used on me once to show me how seals worked. Ah crap, she's going to notice the seals. This will not end well. True to my prediction, Kushina took no more than a passing gaze at before her eyes widened and she hastily unraveled the rest of my bandages on both arms.

"These… These are Uzumaki seals! Where did you get these?" demanded Kushina as she gripped onto my arms tightly.

I grimaced, not expecting anger. "Ah!" I cried. My arms burned from where she gripped the marked skin.

"Tell me where did you get these seals," repeated the red haired woman.

"Kushina-san, you're hurting her." Obito grabbed her hand when her grip seemed to tighten more, but she didn't let go.

"Kaa-san put them on me!" I shouted when the pain grew too much to bear.

"…Your mother?" Surprise crossed her face as her hands slipped from my arms. I pulled away rubbing the tender skin. "What's your mother's name?"

"Kushina-san, stop scaring her," warned Obito as I scooted back a little. I wasn't scared, I just didn't want her grabbing me again… though, it's not like I could do anything to stop her if she decided to do it again.

"What is her name?" She asked again, staring into my eyes… There I noticed, she wasn't angry. She wasn't even annoyed. She looked…hopeful? Longing?

Then it clicked. Her home village was gone. Her family and everyone she knew before she left for Konoha was either dead or lost to the four corners of this world. She was hoping to find family, people who shared her blood. She was a jinchuriki, it was hard for her to find people like Minato who won't judge her for what she has to do for her duties.

I ducked down my head, breaking her gaze. Whatever seals Somuku placed on my arms have already damned my situation. There was no way I could get out of this staying silent, but what do I say? I really don't want to end up in T&I. I won't last ten minutes under torture. I hesitantly took a second glance hoping I could think of something, but when I saw her eyes, all thoughts of excuses left my mind.

She looked so sad and hopeful. The logical part of my mind screamed that she only has two or three more years left and that I shouldn't take any stupid risks ousting myself. There was no point in gaining her support when she won't be around long enough to do anything. Yet, every argument I made was moot the moment I saw her eyes.

"Kasa, can you tell me what your mother's name was?" asked Kushina again.

I mentally sighed, so hopeful, so sad… I never stood a chance. "Kaa-san's name is Somuku… Somuku Uzumaki."

Her face frowned not recognizing Kaa-san's name, but lit up when she heard the Uzumaki name, but grimaced when she remembered something. "Obito said your mother was…" She trailed off, unwilling to finish it. "Were there any other Uzumakis? Grandparents, aunts or uncles?"

"I don't know. It was always just Kaa-san and Tou-san before…" I trailed off, realizing for the first time how small my current family was. I hadn't noticed earlier because Kaa-san always kept me distracted with all her lessons and activities... but she was gone now and Tou-san… I don't know where he was, but he wasn't here. "I'm… alone."

Surprise crossed my face before I realized I said it out loud. In moments, Kushina held me in her arms as if she was trying to shield me from whatever that was going through my mind. Even Obito looked solemn as he watched quietly with his single eye. I sat there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. It wasn't as if I was immune to the feeling of loneliness. It's there, but I was a grown woman; I could deal with a bit of solitude.

Not to mention, there was the fear of getting hauled off to an interrogation session with T&I hanging over my head. Wasting time wallowing in the thoughts of loneliness was not at the top of my priority list. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate their sentiments, but I had no clue how to respond in these situations. Do I say something? Say nothing? What do four-year-olds normally do in this situation?

My mind drew blanks before I finally decided to lean into the hug. It seemed like Kushina needed this more than I do. Not that I mind, it was always nice to be held and wanted. Though, I do wonder if this world would be a nicer place if everyone just got more hugs? I raised my arms to return the hug.

It doesn't hurt to try right?

* * *

Author's Notes: One last thing, not everything is going to be canon as the story moves further on, so anyone who's a big canon fan, sorry guys. It's not one of those stories. And I know Akatsuki (紅暁) means red dawn, but I'm having Kasa hear and interpret it as red moon (紅月) for other reasons. So please if you're going to review to correct me on details like that, just leave it. I'm doing it on purpose.


	5. Chapter Four: Welcome to Konohagakure

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Four: Welcome to Konohagakure **

The trip back to Konoha took a full week alongside Kushina. It was fortunate that we made it to the outpost when we did; she was on the last day of her border patrol rotation. If we were a day later we would've missed her altogether and the situation with the guards would've ended poorly.

Joining us on the trip back were Tsume Inuzuka and her ninken Kuromaru, Kushina's temporary team. I'm guessing it was for the matter of safety, considering Obito has yet to fully recover and the addition of having to lug a civilian like me around a warzone.

I'm not exactly sure what protocols Konoha-nin abides by during times of war, but I boy am I glad that we had an Inuzuka in our group. Not to say that Kushina and Obito can't handle themselves, but I do feel a lot safer sleeping at night knowing Kuromaru, the menacing wolf-looking dog, stood guard. It also helped that Tsume was just as intimidating, if not more.

Though, it might be psychological since I do have an absurd amount of fondness toward dogs and dog lovers in general. Resisting the urge to hug and pet the monstrous dog was possibly the hardest part of the entire trip. How could anyone not want to pet that soft fur and hug that fluffiness? He was beyond cute and I had a hard enough time not gushing on the spot and squealing like the little girl I am.

"Are you not terrified?" asked Kuromaru at one point during the week when we stopped for camp and he was left to guard me. The group had separated in order to perform the necessary tasks before evening set.

With Kushina setting up camp and etching protection seals around the vicinity, Obito was off gathering wood and hunting our dinner, while leaving Tsume to patrol and scout the area for threats. I offered to help, but Tsume immediately shot it down saying it would be faster for them to setup and clear out in the morning if they did everything.

Ultimately, Kuromaru was left to babysit me and possibly keep me out of trouble if I decided I was bored. Though… who could be bored with a talking dog?

"I didn't know you can talk." I grinned, not the least bothered by the close proximity where he sat. Must resist urge to pet doggy…

"You do not find it strange that I can?" drawled Kuromaru, dubious of my level of comfort around him.

"Should I?" I asked tilting my head up to look at him. "All ninkens can do that right?"

The Inuzuka ninken towered me even while sitting. I'm guessing he would reach six feet or more in height if he ever stood on his hind legs. Any sensible person would take one look at the massive size this dog before turn-tail and run… but as you can see, I'm not the sensible type.

"Some, not all," snorted Kuromaru. "Not all of us are inclined to learning the human tongue."

"Then how come you learned?" I asked.

Kuromaru looked as if he raised a brow. Could dogs do that? "Do you find it amusing to play charades each time you want to get a message across?"

"…I guess not." I replied, glancing at his soft fur. My hand twitched, but I kept it to myself.

"What are you staring at?" asked Kuromaru when he noticed me stealing glances at him.

Resist! Must resist! I can do it! I can… I can… "…Can I… pet you?" I asked, completely defeated by my fondness for big fluffy dogs.

Kuromaru stared at me for a second before he threw his head back in an uproarious laugh. "You're a strange child."

"I know…" I puffed up my cheeks dejectedly, slightly red from embarrassment.

That seemed to make him laugh even harder.

"What's so funny?" asked Obito curiously when he came back with an armful of twigs and broken branches.

Kuromaru still shook with laughter when Kushina and Tsume returned.

"He's making fun of me." I said childishly, drawing raised brows from both Kushina and Tsume.

"Kuromaru?" questioned Tsume, no doubt wondering what caused her ninken to be in such a state.

The ninken collected himself and gave a wolf-like grin. "This is an interesting child. I suggest you keep an eye on her in the future," said Kuromaru in bemusement as he stood on all fours and made his way back to the Inuzuka kunoichi.

"Hm?" Tsume glanced between Kuromaru and me curiously. I curled up, hiding my face behind my legs. Great, more unnecessary attention, I'm doing such a wonderful job keeping low-key. A raspy chuckle escaped from the woman as she rested a hand on her hip. "You like dogs don't you?"

My face flushed red. Geez, and I tried so hard not to be obvious.

"You're so cute Kasa-chan," laughed Kushina softly with her bell-like giggles.

"It's not funny." I sulked, but found Obito slinging an arm around my shoulder fondly.

"You know, that bastard Kakashi has quite a few ninkens, maybe you can meet them when we get back to Konoha," suggested the Uchiha with a bright grin. "That sounds fun right?"

It was hard to keep pouting when his smiles were so infectious. Obito had a way with making people smile and even Tsume, with her stoic personality, wasn't immune to his smiles either. Most nights, I slept with Kushina until it was her turn for the guard shift. Other times, I snuggled with Kuromaru when it was a bit chilly. His fur was _so _soft. Tsume gave him an amused look whenever I did, but he never bothered with a response.

Things got… interesting when we reached Konoha. One thing for sure, I hadn't expected to see the teen version of the infamous closet pervert standing guard at the gates of the village. That's right, you know who I'm talking about.

"Obito Uchiha? You're alive!" said the sunglasses-wearing chunin as he jumped up from his seat. His partner glanced lazily at us as we approached. At least I think they were chunin, having a jounin or a genin at such a post would either be a waste or stupid.

"Yo Ebisu, Genma!" replied Obito cheerily with a wave. "How's it going?"

"How is it going?" said Ebisu in disbelief. "Your team came back saying you were KIA and you waltz in here days later asking how's it going? How are you alive?"

Obito grinned, puffing up his chest boastfully. "Because I'm awesome! Not even death can take me!"

Genma sighed dully, twitching the toothpick in his mouth. "More like even death doesn't want deal with you." He turned to greet the two amused kunoichi. "Uzumaki-san, Inuzuka-san. It must've been a hassle dragging his sorry ass back here."

"Hey!" retorted Obito, miffed.

Kushina raised a hand to cover a giggle. "Maybe a little."

"No fair, you guys are ganging up on me," complained Obito. I grinned ear to ear as I watched, but he soon caught sight of me and sped over placing his hands on my shoulders. "But at least you're on my side right, Kasa? You and me, we could take them all on!"

I held my sides laughing when he knelt down with one arm around my shoulders and pointing a finger dramatically in challenge.

"Idiot," muttered Ebisu as he pushed the sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.

Genma smiled wryly as Obito jumped up indignantly. "You might want to get your ass to the office and clear your current status soon. From what I heard, the Uchiha clan is causing grief for Kakashi and the rest of your team."

"Huh? Why?" asked Obito, confused.

"Don't know," shrugged Genma. "Just saying, you might want to get it done soon. I heard they're going to drag Kakashi to some council hearing sometime this week or something."

"What!" snapped Obito in disbelief. "What for?"

Kushina placed a hand on his shoulder before he could fly off the handle. "Why don't we go settle things at the office and then go ask Kakashi himself?"

Obito reluctantly nodded and backed down. "Fine."

"We need to settle the matter concerning Kasa while we're there as well," continued Kushina as she turned to smile at me.

Ebisu glanced at me for the first time since the conversation started. "If you don't mind me asking Uzumaki-san, who is this little girl?"

The red-haired woman smiled brightly as she placed a fond hand on my head. "Family of mines. She'll be living with me once we get the paperwork done."

I glanced up at her in surprise. I'm going to live with her? That was unexpected. I thought I would end up staying with Obito or dumped in an orphanage if anything. Though, I guess it makes sense, since she technically was family.

"Come on, let's get a move on. We've wasted enough time here," prompted Tsume impatiently.

"Yeah, we should get this stuff done ASAP!" said Obito as a beat returned to his step. "I'll catch up with you guys later maybe. Come on Kasa, I'll give you a tour of the village and introduce you to everyone when we're done!" He held out a hand for me to grab.

"Don't go traumatizing the poor girl, Obito," drawled Genma as I took the offered hand.

"Whatever man!" said Obito as we continued on.

I grinned a little when he waved bye to us and I returned the sentiment with a wave of my own. As we moved deeper into Konoha, I was greeted by an interesting experience. In my old life, I lived in a city towering with steel structures and covered in concrete. In Ame, it wasn't much different aside from the endless rain and miserable atmosphere. Here in Konoha, everything was bright, the buildings, the people and most of all, the sky.

It was a refreshing change after the week I've been through. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought Konoha was a pleasant place to live. The lack of skyscrapers would throw me off at first, but I think I would have enjoyed living here. I took childish glee in staring at everything. Compared to Ame, Konoha was a freaking rainbow with the amount of bright colors everywhere.

I felt like I walked into a fairytale with how everything looked and sounded. All the while, Obito gave commentary of nearly everything of interest we passed by. I nearly squealed when I recognized the familiar ramen stand. I am so going there one of these days! What can I say? I'm a glutton. Maybe I should've been reborn in the Akamichi clan instead?

Even with Obito's impromptu commentaries, we quickly made our way to the administrative office. Kushina and Tsume made a beeline in signing in, noting their return to Konoha from the borders before we moved on to settle Obito's KIA status. To say the process was funny was an understatement. I lost count how many times someone raised a brow when Obito requested to change his status from KIA to active.

Fortunately, for whatever reason, Obito omitted the fact that I was the one that brought him back from the brink of death. Of course, that didn't last long when we were redirected to the Hokage himself for questioning. It wasn't a common occurrence for someone noted as KIA to come back alive and reinstate himself for service. Let's hope I don't end up in T&I after this conversation.

"Heya, Hokage-sama! How's it going?" greeted Obito cheerily when he caught sight of Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Third Hokage looked amused as we stepped into the room.

"Obito Uchiha," mused the old man. "I didn't expect to speak with you again. Your team was quite downtrodden when they returned with news of your death."

The Uchiha scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, that sucked. They're not taking it too badly are they?"

"Depends what your definition of badly means," humored the old man.

Obito grimaced. "That bad huh? Well, if you can reinstate me as a ninja that'd be great. I'll go and tell them the good news about me being alive."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Of course, of course, but before we do that. I need you to answer some questions." He grinned wryly when Obito slumped dejectedly. "I'll try to be quick. Can you recount what happened on your mission before you were separated from Minato and your team?"

I stood silent next to Kushina as Obito repeated the story again for the second time. He's going to get sick of retelling this story over and _over_ again real soon. Heck, I'm hearing it for the second time and I'm already bored with it. The only thing keeping me from yawning was the fact that I was a part of the story and I could possibly get tortured for this.

"So you managed to save Obito did you?" Hiruzen directed the question to me.

I did all I could not to hide behind Obito and Kushina like a little coward, but I still ended up clinging to Obito. "Y-yes?"

The Third Hokage smiled warmly. "No need to be afraid. I just have some questions for you. That's all. Obito said your name is Kasa Mon from Amegakure?"

I nodded silently, cautious to keep my eyes focused on his despite how desperately I wanted to look away. I can't let myself show obvious signs of lying and I'm _really_ bad at lying.

"Can you tell me how did you heal Obito?" asked the old man.

"I had him bite me?" I squeaked. Please let him think I'm terrified and not hiding anything, please let him think I'm terrified—wait, what am I saying? I _am_ terrified!

"Can you explain to me why you did that?" asked Hiruzen patiently, obviously aware of my distressed state.

Shit, my throat clamped up.

"Kasa-chan?" questioned Obito quietly when the world started to shift around me. Kuromaru made his way next to me and nudged my hand onto his snout. The wetness of his nose and the softness of his fur calmed me slightly as the world stopped spinning.

"Hokage-sama, if I may?" interrupted Kushina when I remained silent. "I could explain the rest for her if you don't mind." Thank all that is good in the world for Kushina! My hero and savior!

Hiruzen raised a brow. "You can explain Kushina?"

The red-haired woman nodded. "This girl is descended from the Uzumaki line. The ability she used to heal Obito with is one of the various manifestations of the high vitality carried in the Uzumaki bloodline."

"Uzumaki?" said Hiruzen with a raised brow. "This girl is your kin?"

Kushina nodded. "Her mother is Somuku Uzumaki. Most likely, she fled to Amegakure after the destruction of our village. The two sets of seals on her arms is proof of her mother's adeptness in the sealing arts. Quite possibly a master from what I've deciphered."

"Seals?" frowned Sarutobi. "What sort of seals?"

"Information, possibly whatever vestige left of Uzushiogakure and the Uzumaki clan," said Kushina.

I blinked at that. You're shitting me right? Kaa-san turned me into a human flash drive?

"…I see," murmured Hiruzen as he puffed on his pipe in deep thought. "Can you confirm the information that's on those seals?"

Kushina shook her head. "The information is privy to only Kasa."

Hiruzen blew out a breath of smoke as he studied me. I squirmed where I stood wishing I was anywhere but here. "Kushina, I know why you brought this child here, but you are aware of the current laws."

The red-haired woman grimaced. "Yes, I'm aware we are in a state of war, but I will take full responsibility of Kasa."

Confusion crossed my face. Did I just miss something?

"I trust you Kushina. However, I cannot bend the law on your words alone. Unless you can find out what sort of information is on those seals, we cannot risk having someone, even a child, wandering in the village with information we know nothing about. It would take too long to train her how to activate such seals."

"It's an information seal, there are no coercion commands drawn into it. Kasa isn't a sleeper agent," argued Kushina.

Oh, so that's what they're arguing about. Well… that's another can of worms that just opened up. So, not only do I have to be terrified that T&I might make an acquaintance, I also have to be terrified that they might gut me incase they thought I was a sleeper agent. Wonderful, just wonderful.

"Be as that may, unless I have solid proof, I cannot protect her from the council if they ask for her ejection from the village." His features softened sympathetically. "I know you want to protect what's left of your kin Kushina and I don't want to send any child away during times of war."

Shit, things are going down hill. I need to do something!

"Are you kidding me Hokage-sama!" snapped Obito. "Kasa's four and a civilian! She doesn't have an ounce of formal training yet or anyone to turn to, if you kick her out of the village, she will die!"

"Hokage-sama, I implore you to reconsider. I can and will vouch for her!" begged Kushina.

Hiruzen stayed quiet as they both protested for my sake, but his eyes kept trained on me the whole time. My hands felt clammy against Kuromaru's fur and I desperately wanted to take a step back and run away, but before I could, Kuromaru nudged his head against me. I glanced next to me and noticed the stern look in his eyes. As if he was telling me to say something, to defend myself. Kushina and Obito already did what they could. It was up to me now.

I let out a shaky breath before I let go of Obito's hand and took a step forward. Kushina and Obito grew quiet as I gripped onto the hem of my shirt and shuffled uncomfortably in front of them.

"I-I could tell you what information is in the seals." I stuttered out.

"Oh?" Hiruzen took the pipe back into his mouth as he waited for me to continue.

"I'm a natural activator. Kaa-san had me tested months ago." I wet my lips, why was it suddenly so dry? "She said I can't make any seals, but I could activate any seals made by others as long as they weren't faulty."

"And you're sure you can activate the seals on your arms?" asked Hiruzen.

I nodded slowly, resisting the urge to fiddle with the sleeves of my shirt. "I-I've already activated it once before. When I first met Obito."

"What was in it?" pressed the old man calmly.

"Medical fuinjutsu." I frowned trying to remember. "There was a lot of information on how to treat injuries. I don't understand most of it, but I don't think it was all of it either."

"You can tell?" asked Hiruzen.

I nodded, more confidently this time. "I remember being scared and Obito was dying. I really wanted to help Obito, but I couldn't. I didn't realize I activated the seals until the burn grew on my arm. I saw images of Kaa-san using fuinjutsu to heal. One after another, there were different seals to heal different things, but I couldn't use any of it because I can't make seals." I said almost frustrated.

Hiruzen nodded understandingly, likely reminiscing his fair share of moments where he felt utterly useless. "The healing bite, did you know you could do that before? Or was that from the seals?"

"The seals." I answered truthfully. "It was the only one that I didn't need to know how to use."

"Can you activate the seals now?" inquired Hiruzen.

I glanced at him with a confused frown. "I think so. Do you want me to?"

"Hokage-sama! You can't ask her to activate the seals now! Who knows how much chakra is required to activate them?" argued Kushina. "She's barely trained. It could—"

"Kushina," interrupted Tsume. "Hokage-sama is reconsidering Kasa's admission into the village. Are you sure you want to refute that?"

The red-haired woman grew silent. I glanced back and saw her looking worriedly at me. Tsume on the other hand looked calm and collected. She gave me a wolfish-grin instead.

"Go ahead kid. Show Hokage-sama what you can do," encouraged the woman. Kuromaru gave a smirk of his own as he stood by her.

I gave a weak grin in return before facing the Third again. Taking a deep breath I grasped at my chakra and pulled it to the palm of my hand. It took some time, considering I don't normally pull chakra to my hands. The feather exercise Kaa-san had me do could hardly be used to mold chakra. It was more like an exercise in practicing summoning chakra from the core.

I waited for a full minute before I felt there was enough chakra on my hand and I planted it on one of my bandaged arms. It was hard enough to summon enough chakra to one hand, much less for both. In an instant, the images barraged my mind again. Last time, I was worried about Obito dying so all the images there involved healing or anything related to the medical arts. This time, I didn't have any specific thoughts in my mind other than proving to the hokage that I could do this.

Big mistake.

Hundreds if not thousands of images rushed through my head, varying from history to faces of leaders, of elders, to families upon families of redheads, to images of Kyubi transferring from one jinchuriki to the next before finally the utter ruins of a waterside village. I felt blood dripping from my nose before I hit the ground.

My hearing was clouded as the dull beats of steps and people talking surrounded me. I vaguely felt someone lift me from the ground and patting the side of my cheek. I could see Obito panicking, Kushina screaming what looked like my name and Tsume grimacing with Kuromaru frowning by her side.

The images didn't stop, wouldn't stop. I could barely make out what any of them were saying. My body seized as my mind slowly overloaded with information. Eventually, Hiruzen made his way into my vision and pulled my hand away from my arm, the images slowed. His hands gripped tightly onto my wrists as I felt something warm pushing against the insides of my arms.

Chakra.

The images finally stopped before I finally took a breath, coughing as my lungs drew in much-needed air. I must've stopped breathing at some point. The ringing in my ears grew louder and louder before finally everything came back.

"Kasa!" shouted Kushina, her voice breaking through the ringing. Her arms held me carefully as I wheezed for a breath.

"She should be fine now," said Hiruzen grimly as he moved to stand.

I had no clue what urged me to do so, but I darted out of Kushina's arms and grabbed onto his before he could get up. "The Uzumaki clan is the only know clan to host as the Kyubi's jinchuriki due to the high vitality of its bloodline. Uzushiogakure was destroyed by their hubris and expertise in sealing. A seal master could easily replicate any known ninjutsu and genjutsu capable of equivalent efficiency. Masters of the Uzumaki styled fuinjutsu can—"

"Stop," commanded Hiruzen as he grabbed onto my hand. I stared at him in a daze as he planted my hand back on my lap and patted it gently. "You don't need to prove anything anymore. You are welcome to stay in Konoha with Kushina, but on one condition."

It felt like my eyes glazed over as I stared at him blankly, was he sending me to T&I?

"Do not activate that seal again until you've had proper training and only with supervision by a seal master or an iryo-nin. Do I make myself clear?" asked the man.

I nodded blankly. Did I make it? Was he not going to toss me to T&I?

"Good, Kushina you may want to take her to the hospital to get her looked over. I'll have someone deal with her paperwork," noted the hokage as he stood up. "I'm sorry your first impression of Konoha ended as such."

Really? That's it? I'm scot free from a painful and traumatizing interrogation? The sad smile from the man melted the fear clinging to my heart. Hope and relief flooded through my body as I slumped down against Kushina with a smile. I don't have to face T&I! Awesome! A giggled escaped my lips as another thought slipped through my mind.

"Kasa?" whispered Kushina worriedly.

"Does that mean I get to be a Konoha ninja in the future?" I asked, slightly delirious from the giddiness of not needing to go to T&I.

Hiruzen smiled warmly. "If you ever wish to join the shinobi ranks, you may apply to the academy whenever you feel you're ready."

"Yay!" I cheered weakly.

"What sort of ninja are you aspiring to be?" asked Hiruzen, the mirth twinkling in his eyes. I wonder if he was amused by my high state or the fact that I wanted to be a Konoha-nin despite nearly frying my brains out because he dared me to.

I grinned brightly. "Iryo-nin."

"Interesting choice. Why?" asked Hiruzen.

My eyes drifted as I snuggled closer to Kushina. "Then I could heal me and people and not get bitten for it… Because that hurts..." I slurred. "…I don't like getting hurt. It's not fun…"

A chuckled escaped the old man. "I see. I see."

"Hokage-sama, I'm going to take her to the hospital now," said Kushina with a bow as she hauled me off the ground.

"Very well," nodded the man. "As for the matter of Obito Uchiha's reinstatement, you will be reinstated once the hospital clears you of your injuries."

"What?" complained Obito. "I need the hospital's approval? That'll take forever!"

"Quit exaggerating. They would keep you for a week at most," inserted Tsume before turning to bow briefly to Hiruzen. "We will take our leave Hokage-sama."

The man nodded. "You've had a long journey. Welcome back." He paused briefly before turning to me with a smile. "And welcome to Konoha."

* * *

**Village Name:**

**Uzushiogakugure****-**Whirling Tides Village


	6. Chapter Five: Bring It On!

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Five: Bring It On!**

One thing I quickly figured out after a trip to the hospital was that healing chakra was the_ best_ feeling in the world. Think hot bath, massage and eating ice cream all at once while enjoying the best movie or book in the world. That was how I felt the instant an iryo-nin touched my brain with healing chakra. I was in heaven. No other feeling in the world could match it.

Screw drugs, I'd take a brain massage with healing chakra any day. My treatment finished in half an hour. According to the medic, the injuries I've suffered from the seal's info dump wasn't severe, it was more like my brain was exhausted and needed a round of healing chakra. My body became jelly by the time they finished.

Not that it mattered; we ended up having to wait for Obito anyway. Unlike me, he had fractured bones, broken bones, a missing eye, borderline chakra exhaustion and a list of other things that I couldn't begin to comprehend. How he even managed to convince his attending iryo-nin to let him leave the hospital while bandaged to the point of looking like a mummy was beyond me. The boy has a way with words I suppose.

"Come on!" urged Obito as we left the hospital. "I want to go find Minato sensei and the others. Can you image the look on their faces when they see me?" He sniggered.

Kushina sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Really Obito? You died in front of their eyes and the first thing you want to do is show yourself like nothing happened?"

Obito scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Exactly!" Kushina propped a hand on her hip in a disappointed manner. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

The Uchiha ducked down his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, I—"

"You should totally prank them instead!" cackled Kushina with glee. "Let's make them crap their pants!"

I glanced up at her in surprise. She's suggesting to prank them?

Obito's face lit up like a child at Christmas morning. "I knew I liked you for a reason Kushina-san!"

"Of course!" She raised her nose in the air with pride. "How could you ever doubt my awesomeness? Life is not worth living without good pranks!"

"How foolish of me!" declared Obito. "Please teach me more Kushina-sama!"

"That's what I like to see!" nodded Kushina. "Now listen closely, this is what we're going to do…"

I resisted the weak laugh threatening to escape my lips. Eerie how the two of them almost mirrored the image of Gai and Lee in the future. Not sure should I be terrified or worried that there might be a sunset background at some point of their conversation. The thought sent chills down my spine.

Don't get me wrong; Gai and Lee are not bad guys, but their eccentricity and energy could use a bit toning down. I shuddered at the thought of legion of self-proclaimed green beasts of Konoha invading the streets. Smiling green and orange clad ninjas giving the nice guy pose… Now that is a terrifying sight.

"I am not worthy!" Obito bowed before Kushina comically raising and dropping his arms to express his unworthiness.

… I totally just missed what the heck they planned, didn't I?

Kushina turned to me with a grin. "Kasa-chan, you're going to help us!"

"Huh?" I barely managed to get out before they dragged me along towards the training grounds. Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like whatever they planned?

Ten minutes later, we arrived near what I later know as the Third Training Ground. Sound familiar? It should, considering it was the preferred bell-test exam location for nearly every hokage in existence. That and the memorial stone.

Hidden in the shadows, Kushina made quick work in hiding our presence as she and Obito searched for their targets. It didn't take long for them to spot a stoic silver-haired teen standing at the memorial stone. No doubt grieving for the recent lost of his friend. A sensible person would leave him in peace to grieve, but of course, Obito was always one to break the mood.

"Man, oh man," murmured Obito quietly from where we hid. "You're killing me Kakashi."

I resisted to the urge to facepalm at his choice of words.

"Don't worry, after we're done, he won't stay like that," grinned Kushina in turn.

"... Can I not do this?" I whispered quietly, unknowing copying their hushed voices. "That's just mean."

"You so totally got to do this!" whispered Obito excitedly. "It'll make my entrance all the more awesome." He pressed his hands together. "Pretty please Kasa?"

I bit my lower lip, if he planned to dye Kakashi's hair pink or rig his apartment with pies and humorous traps I would join him in a heartbeat. However, when it came to hurtful jokes that is where I draw the line. One of my greatest pet peeves in my previous life were idiots prank calling their family and friends telling them they were gravely injured in an accident and dying at a hospital.

I don't understand how anyone could find traumatizing the people they love funny. Not to mention how hurtful it was to have their trust in them broken for something so stupid.

"Kasa-chan," said Kushina softly. "If you feel uncomfortable about this, you don't have to."

Then why the hell did you include me in the first place?

"But this prank will help Kakashi more so than hurt him," said the red-haired woman.

My frown deepened. How does that make sense?

"You don't know Kakashi," answered Obito, as if reading my mind.

"What do you mean?" I glanced to him in question.

"Kakashi is a stoic bastard," explained Obito, as if that answered everything. "He may look cool and all, but knowing what I know about him now, the bastard is probably blaming himself."

Hello? Close friend and teammate dying saving his ass, I'm quite sure he has good reason to feel the need to blame himself.

Obito huffed. "He is totally ignoring my sacrifice to save his sorry ass! He should be living, not guilt tripping himself into misery!" Surprise crossed my face as he continued with a grumble. "Kakashi could be bastard when it comes to his own emotions, always bottling it up and being an ass to everyone because of it."

"Oh…" I murmured. Obito was more thoughtful than I thought.

"That's why I need you to help me on this okay? We need to fix him," said Obito before he crossed his arms with a frown. "That and if I showed myself this early, he's just going to get emotionally constipated and totally ruin my dramatic return."

And now he's not. Resist the urge to smack him upside the head, Kasa. Resist it. I took a deep breath and released it in the same instance. Well, I did say I will try to make this world a nicer place. I supposed this was as good as a place to start as any.

"Oh, and get my goggles back for me if you can," whispered Obito as he lowered me to the ground with a grin.

Kushina did her best not to crack up laughing as I rolled my eyes and made my way out of the trees and bushes. The trek took some time as Kushina and Obito kept their distance to avoid detection by the silver-hair teen. I wonder how can they tell whether or not the stoic teen and sense them. Young Kakashi doesn't seem like the type to broadcast his awareness of stalkers. Heck, he doesn't seem like the type to take notice of you even if you stood next to him.

They must know him pretty well then. As I drew closer and closer, I could faintly hear him talking, but it didn't last long. He must've sensed me coming and stopped. If I didn't know he was the sneaky type I wouldn't be able to tell if he was talking at all in the first place by the time I reached him.

He didn't bother giving me a sideways glance when I reached the stone. So quiet and stoic, none of the nonchalant air he carried as an adult. I stood quietly for a moment next to him, feeling rude for invading his personal bubble and interrupting his grieving. I'm surprised he didn't disappear the moment he sensed me.

"What are you staring at?" asked the silver hair teen when the silence grew awkward.

Crap, what did Obito and Kushina want me to say?

"You look sad." I blurted out instead. Damn it, ugh… Just go with it!

"Is that so?" said Kakashi quietly, his eyes never leaving the memorial stone.

"You know, he's going to be sad too if you stay that way." I continued.

His body stiffened, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it came. "Is that what they told you when you lost someone you care about? You do know those words won't change a thing. They're still gone," said the teen bitterly.

Wow, you're a douchebag Kakashi. If I wasn't four, you might've made me cry saying that. Screw being nice. He deserves whatever prank Obito and Kushina planned for him.

"No." I answered. "Your friend told me."

Kakashi turned to me with a frown. "Friend?"

"Yep!" I nodded clasping my hands behind my back childishly, leaning sideways to look up at him. "He said he's angry at you for being a bastard and wasting his sacrifice." I paused before adding. "And he wants his goggles back."

His face was indecipherable. Was he surprised? Confused? "Who told you to tell me this?" said Kakashi with a darken voice.

Uh-oh… I took a step back and he followed suit with a step forward. "Not if you're going to be like that." I said trying to lighten the situation, but failed horribly when his glare darkened more.

"Tell me who told you to tell me this," demanded the silver-haired teen, cold anger lacing his words.

Not good, I just had to go an piss him off didn't I?

"Eep." I squeaked out as I turned tail to run, but he caught me in seconds without difficulty and hauled me up by the back of my shirt.

"I'll ask one last time. _Who_ told you to do this?" growled Kakashi as he turned me to face his dark glaring eye. "_Tell me._"

Panic set in as I started to flail and scream. "Obito help! He's going to kill me!"

"Obito?" said Kakashi, eye widened and startled.

In seconds, a shadow blurred to our side. Kakashi dropped me out of instinct. I took the chance to distance myself as he blocked a blow to his right and swiftly grabbed the arm of whoever that attacked him. A grip, a shift and the silver-haired teen chucked his attacker over his shoulder and pinned him to the ground with a kunai in hand. What he didn't expect was a familiar face staring back at him.

"Oww… what the hell Kakashi!" whined Obito. "This was supposed to be my badass return!"

"…O…Obito?" croaked out Kakashi weakly, but he shook his head with vehemence, pressing his kunai into the Uchiha's throat. "You're not him! Who are you? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hey, hey! Watch where you're pointing that! I just got out of the hospital! I don't want to go back there again!" protested Obito as he tried to inch away, but his teammate had him firmly pressed into the ground.

"Who are you?" growled Kakashi before he glanced up to me with a glare. "Who are either of you? Did the Uchiha send you to do this?"

"Uchiha? Why would they do that?" frowned Obito, but Kakashi kept his eye on me rather than Obito. "Hey, I'm talking to you, bastard!" snapped Obito before he shifted a leg out from the knee Kakashi used to pin him and kicked him off. The kunai managed to nick the side of his face. A hiss escaped his lips as he raised his sleeve to press against the cut. "Why is it always the face? Man, that stings."

Kakashi reoriented himself in the air before he landed in a fighting stance. "Your genjutsu skills are good to be able to maintain the illusion even after taking damage. Show me your true face."

"This _is_ my true face dipshit!" shouted Obito. "For a prodigy you're freaking stupid if you haven't notice that I'm not dead!"

"I don't believe you," glared Kakashi.

"For the love of—" Obito threw his hands up in the air. "You know what? Screw this! If you want a fight bastard, you got one! Jounin or no jounin! I'm going to kick your ass! Kasa-chan, take cover. I'm going to teach this bastard a lesson!"

"As if you'll get the chance," growled out Kakashi as he charged forward.

"Bring it on!" roared Obito as he too pulled out his own kunai and charged.

Well… that escalated quickly. Sounds of metal against metal striking one another echoed in the air. I glanced around wondering where Kushina went. She's not going to let them fight was she? I get that Kakashi probably needed to vent out his frustrations, but Obito has barely recovered. Fighting so soon, the idiot's going to get himself hurt, that is if Kakashi didn't kill him first.

When I spotted no sign of my newly found relative, I sighed and moved a safer distance before I sat down to watch the fight. If they were going to duke it out, I might as well enjoy the show. Kind of made me wish that I had something to snack on while watching them trying to kill each other. Interestingly enough, Kakashi limited himself only to taijutsu. He made no move to shoot off any of his more lethal attacks.

My brows furrowed in thought. That's a little strange. Was it that he didn't want to? Or he couldn't? How long does it take for someone to adapt to a sharingan transfer? I seem to recall him using it almost immediately, but then again I also have a vague memory of him collapsing not long after… Hmm… that's something to mull on.

"Shit," wheezed Obito ten minutes later. He and Kakashi were at a standstill. "Had enough yet?"

The stoic teen didn't fair any better, he too was out of breath. "You?" rasped Kakashi with his grip tightening on his kunai.

"Ha!" coughed Obito. "I'm just getting started! But uh…" He rested his free hand on his knee as he caught his breath. "If you want to give up, I'm totally cool with that! You know, uh… because I'm generous like that!"

I bit back a smile. He really needs to work on his bluffing skills.

Kakashi stood still, his breathing evening out as he studied the other. Unlike Obito, his stance stood firm. Even in exhaustion, he didn't let himself waver. His brows remained furrowed in thought as if he was trying to make sense of a puzzle.

"You can't continue, can you?" murmured Kakashi.

"What?" snapped Obito as he stood up again. "You want to go again? Come on! I can do this all day!"

The silver-haired teen stared at him for a moment longer before he sighed and pocketed his kunai. "You're an idiot, Obito."

"You want to say that to my face again bastard? I could—Hey wait, you said my name!" said Obito, completely distracted from his initial thought.

"Yes," confirmed Kakashi as he brushed off the mild layer of dust on him, gathered from the fight.

"About time bastard!" A bright grin broke out on Obito's face as he pocketed his kunai. "What changed your mind?"

Kakashi stared at him in a deadpan. "Only an idiot like you would bluff an enemy while exhausted and obviously defeated."

Obito huffed. "I could've _so_ continued the fight!"

Kakashi gave a snort as he turned his attention to the trees. "Sensei, Kushina-san, you guys can stop hiding."

"Ah, he caught us!" said Kushina unabashed as she jumped out of hiding.

I blinked in surprise when I spotted a blond man following suit. Kakashi called him sensei, which meant this man was…

"Eh!" screamed Obito in astonishment. "Minato sensei! When the hell did you get here? I was totally going to go surprise you next! No fair!"

Minato gave a warm smile. "It's not very nice of you to tell us you're alive with a prank."

"Sensei, you know he was alive?" asked Kakashi, mildly annoyed.

"Not a clue," chirped their blonde sensei. "I didn't find out until a couple of minutes ago, myself."

"_Kushina-san_," whined Obito, rubbing his bruised and bandaged arms. "You could've cut in at least. Kakashi is a beast when it comes to taijutsu. My arms are killing me!"

Kushina huffed before turning a glare at Minato. "I would've cut in earlier to explain everything, but _no_ Minato had to stop me."

"If I let you cut in, Kakashi would've been even more furious that you two decided to play such a mean prank on him," reasoned Minato before giving the deceptively friendly smile. "Then it would be much harder to drag _both_ of them to see Rin. I'm _quite_ sure she'll be happy to know both of you avoided her for and entire week."

Obito's jaw dropped in horror while Kakashi's body tensed up at the mention of their teammate.

"Minato sensei! I wasn't avoiding her! I was nearly dead! It took me a week to get back!" protested Obito.

"Hmm," hummed Minato thoughtfully. "But the first person you came to see after coming back wasn't her or me, but _Kakashi_. I wonder what would she think?"

Oh, this man was _good_. No, more than good. He was _evil_, pure evil and I have no issue with that whatsoever. Here, I thought Kushina was the prankster of the pair. However, it turns out, Minato's brand of vindictive humor suits my taste much more.

"Argh!" screamed Obito as he grabbed onto the hair peeking out from under the bandages wrapped around his head. "I'm so stupid! I should've gone to see her first! She's going to kill me! Kakashi this is all your fault!"

"My fault?" said Kakashi in disbelief. "You're the one that wanted to prank me when I thought you were still dead!"

"You're the one that's emotionally constipated! And what's this about Minato sensei saying you've been avoiding her for a week? What the hell man?" accused Obito.

"You're one to talk, Mr. I've come back from the dead!" snapped Kakashi.

I found myself rolling on the ground in a giggling fit before either of them could go on any further. I don't know how Obito does it, he managed to turn a possibly tear jerking reunion into a slapstick comedy worthy of Groucho Marx. Ah, you probably don't know who that is so just forget it. I laughed so hard; I hadn't realize anyone approaching until they were literally two steps in front of me.

"Hello, and who are you?" asked the gentle voice of Minato.

I saw a vague figure squatting in front me as I blinked through the tears of laughter. I managed to gather my giggling fit into something more controllable before I caught sight of the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen. "Hi, I'm Kasa Mon!" I greeted with a grin. "What's your name?"

He grinned a little; Kushina must be the luckiest woman in this world because Minato is an Adonis with that smile. "Minato Namikaze, I'm Obito and Kakashi's sensei."

"Do you belong to Kushina-san?" I asked deliberately, taking note the surprised look crossing his face at my awkwardly phrased question. Ah, the joys of being a child. You can say the weirdest and most embarrassing things in the world and no one can do anything about it.

"Aw, she's so cute and smart!" gushed Kushina as she swept me into her arms. Behind her I could see the still forms of Kakashi and Obito, beaten to the ground. No doubt, her handy work. They've must've gotten out of hand. "She knows whose boss in this relationship."

I know I'm a suck up, but I'm going to live with this woman, so I might as well get on her good side. Call me a sell out all you want. The boss of this relationship is not the man it's the woman. A woman by the name Kushina. This jinchuriki is one you do _not_ want to mess with. So, listen up boys and girls, don't pissed off the woman in this relationship or you will die a very slow and painful death.

Minato gave a sheepish grin attempting to brush off the weirdness I just instilled. "Kushina, who is this girl?"

My new guardian grinned brightly as she lifted up my oddly colored hair as if it was supposed to prove something. "I picked her up from the border! She's going to stay with us! Isn't that great?"

Wait… back up! Us? They're living together already? I didn't know that… Ah crap, the awkwardness just went up by tenfold… oh well.

"…Kushina… You do know you can't go kidnapping other people's kids. Right?" reasoned Minato slowly.

"Of course!" retorted Kushina brashly. "She's not just anyone's kid! She's family, a descendent from the Uzumaki clan! Her mother was an Uzumaki. I'm not about to leave her all alone!"

The expression changed on Minato's face almost immediately. The awkward hesitation turned into sadness, then understanding before he slipped back to the gentle smile he started with earlier. I never knew how expressive he could be without saying a single word. I guess Naruto takes after his mother's personality more than I thought.

Sadly, Naruto probably won't get much of his dad's brain. Considering the man most likely came to a conclusion about my background in the time span it took for his face to shift through the various expressions. If I wasn't used to people watching, I wouldn't have picked up all the micro expressions the man made.

Though, that does make me wonder. As a trained ninja, he would know how to hide all those expressions from his face. However, in this instance, was he showing me these expressions purposely? Or was he just comfortable in the presence of his beloved students and girlfriend to let it slip? Maybe I'm overthinking this a little bit too much.

"Nice to meet you Kasa-chan," said Minato with a inviting smile. "I look forward to getting to know you better."

Oh Konoha, if I didn't know you better, these nice people would've tricked me into believing your outward sweetness. Minato, Kushina and Obito were all genuinely nice people and overall pleasant to be around, but it was so easy to forget the threats that lurk deep in the village. Danzo, ROOT, the council and so many others.

"How would you like to make some more new friends?" asked Minato, distracting me from my ghoulish thoughts. "We could go meet Rin. Obito and Kakashi's teammates."

The two boys twitched on the ground at the name.

"You would like her Kasa-chan, Rin is an iryo-nin. Just like what you want to be when you join the ranks," quipped Kushina.

"Iryo-nin huh?" noted Minato in good humor. "We could always just more iryo-nin, especially if Kakashi and Obito keeps getting hurt, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Obito gets hurt a lot."

"I do not!" protested Obito from the ground.

Minato chuckled whole-heartedly. "Come on, let's get these boys to Rin," said Minato before he made his way over to haul both Obito onto his shoulder and Kakashi under his arm like a sack of potatoes.

"She's going to kill us," muttered Obito.

"More like she's going to skin us and torture us," returned Kakashi.

The two look comical in Minato's grasp. They were like two children in trouble and on their way to their punishment corner.

"Rin should be by the lake today. I'll meet you there," grinned Minato with an playful salute.

Kushina giggled pleasantly as Minato took off ahead of us with a flash. "Just you wait Kasa, you're going to love Rin!"

I wonder if I will.


	7. Chapter Six: Friends and Family

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Six: Friends and Family**

Meeting Rin was… interesting to say the least and trust me when I say that, because I have life experience and all… Yeah, you're not buying that. While it wasn't the first time I saw this reaction from someone, this could probably be the most frightening one.

Let me tell you, Rin can quite possibly be the most terrifying person to be around when she's torn between the spectrum of emotions from jubilation to guilt-filled sadness and ferocious anger. Even Kushina's demonic hair can't match up to the eldritch onslaught of emotions from this girl. The whiplash from it alone could probably snap your neck like a saltine cracker.

With that noted, it is with great mercy on my part to start from the battered half-corpses of Obito and Kakashi at the girl's feet. Sakura temper has nothing on this girl.

"No message, no letter, no nothing! You were alive and you didn't even think to drop a word back to us?" snapped Rin as she re-bandaged Obito's injuries.

"There were no messenger birds at the outpost free for something like that!" defended Obito. He yelped when Rin tightened the bandages over his bruises. "Ow, ow, ow! Sorry! Sorry!"

"Next time you do that to us again, I will kill you myself!" threatened Rin.

"Yes, ma'am!" squeaked Obito before she loosened the bandages.

"Defeats the purpose of encouraging him to survive," murmured Kakashi offhandedly.

"Don't you dare start Kakashi! I haven't gotten to you yet!" growled the girl. "You've been avoiding me since we got back to the village. I didn't even know you had trouble with your chakra until Minato sensei told me! I thought we were teammates! Why would you keep something like that from me?"

Obito glanced at Kakashi curiously. "You're having trouble with your chakra?"

"It's nothing," murmured the silver-haired teen as he turned away.

"That's not nothing!" retorted Obito. "How are you going to continue to go on missions if you can't even defend yourself?"

Kakashi said nothing.

By now, the whole situation escalated to something uncomfortably awkward. Minato and Kushina sat out for most of their little reunion and I, as the outsider of this group, had no place here. The level of emo-ness seeping into the air was torturous. There was something wrong with this world if every prodigy they have runs on self-loathing and emo-ness. Though, I guess they have nothing on an Uchiha when it comes to the mystical arts of emo. Oh boy, that's another can of worms I'm not touching.

_Growl_

My face flushed when all eyes turned on me. Damn child metabolism!

"Kasa-chan are you hungry?" asked Kushina, interrupting the ongoing soap opera.

"…I can wait." I muttered quietly. "Until Kakashi admits he needs a hug, it might be dangerous to go eating with him… He might just try to hurt himself with the splinters on a chopstick."

All eyes turned to me as Kakashi glared at me with vehemence. I didn't mean to say the last part out loud, but what the heck. Just wing it!

"Whoops, you didn't want them to know that?" I said innocently. The look on his face said he would get his revenge on me in the near future. I'm not at a good start with the future Copy-nin, but screw it. He needs hugs and lots of them. Who knows if he'll suddenly go nuts or something if he doesn't get that? Ha, look at me, fixing the emo-problem with one hug at a time!

"Kakashi needs a hug?" grinned Obito, gleeful that he found something to torment his stoic teammate.

The silver-haired teen turned to him with a glare. "No, I don't need a hug!"

"Aw!" gushed Obito teasingly. "You were being such a bastard because you just needed a hug?"

"Don't you dare Obito!" snapped Kakashi as he backed away from him.

"I believe he does need a hug," added Rin with a grin as she joined Obito's efforts. "Should we give you a hug?"

"No, I don't need a hug!" snapped Kakashi as he turned to Minato. "Sensei, tell them to back down."

Minato hid a smile behind his hand. "No, I agree with them. I think you do need a hug."

Kakashi's eyes widened, surprised that even his trusted teacher betrayed him.

"Get him team!" shouted Kushina enthusiastically before the silver-haired teen turned tail and ran.

Had Kakashi been at full strength, they would've never gotten close to him. However, since he neglected his health, his chunin teammates had no issue pinning him down to the ground with hugs. I felt a hand planted on top of my head before I glanced up to Minato's grinning face.

"Good job Kasa-chan," said the man. I found myself grinning back.

The assault on Kakashi lasted for ten minutes before Minato decided to take pity on the stoic teen. Even then, both Obito and Rin didn't release him until after giving the threat of more hugs if he fails to take care of himself. I watched the whole exchange with morbid fascination. This Kakashi acted more like an Uchiha than their resident Uchiha teammate.

Can you image how terrifying it would be if Madara somehow managed to steal Kakashi away and have him be the new Tobi? The world would end with how efficient that jounin is. Yeah… That's a scary train of thought to venture of to. Let's not go there.

"All right, I think Kakashi has enough hugs for today." The silver-haired teen looked grateful for the assist, at least until Minato smiled. "You can give him more tomorrow if you want."

Kakashi shot him a look of betrayal and grumbled under his breath.

"It's been a taxing day for everyone and we should all go home and get some rest, _but_ how about I treat you all to dinner before then? As a celebration for Obito's return," said Minato.

"Serious?" said Obito excitedly. "All right! Let's go for yakiniku!"

"Too heavy, pick something lighter," noted Kakashi.

"I thought this was to celebrate my return?" grumbled Obito.

"How come you guys get to pick?" retorted Rin. "I say we go for dango and anmitsu!"

Just as another outbreak threatened to start, Kushina interrupted. "Kids," said the woman sternly. "If you guys can't make up your mind, I get to choose."

Obito huffed. "But you always choose ramen!"

If I could sweat drop, I would at this point. Somehow it turned from an argument between three teammates to a war between them and Kushina. The loudness of the group was starting to get to me as I resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose. Hell, I hope it doesn't end up like this every time they meet up. They're worse than a room filled with four-year-olds.

"They're a lively bunch, aren't they?" grinned Minato. This guy must have the patience of a saint; I've already pressed my knuckles into the bridge of my nose pretending to rub my eye.

"Are they always like that?" I asked, kneading away the headache with only my thumb.

"Every time," chirped the man before Kushina's demonic hair flared to life and snared all three of Minato's students. "You'd think they'd learn not to fight her by now."

"Ah… so we're having ramen, I'm guessing?" I grimaced as Kushina gave the trio a good pounding. If that's her taking it easy, I really don't want to see what she do to people when she's serious.

"Yep," chuckled Minato.

"Come along Kasa-chan," chirped Kushina as she rolled her arm in triumph. "We're going for ramen."

I glanced at the twitching trio on the ground. "Coming!" Better them than me I suppose.

At Ichiraku's, I learned that Kushina was the envy of all women. How she manages to down ten bowls of ramen and still keep that killer figure of hers was an enigma. No doubt, Naruto's obsessive love for ramen stemmed from this woman.

"How do you like it?" asked Kushina as I slurped up my share of ramen. I finished only half my bowl while she was on her fifth.

"It's yummy!" I replied. I'm a big fan of savory foods. Though, got to admit I favor pho more… I know, blasphemy! How could I not love ramen? Good thing Kushina can't read thoughts. She might kill me for soiling her heavenly ramen.

"So what do you have planned tomorrow Minato sensei?" asked Obito as he finished off his bowl. "Hokage-sama said I can't go on missions until the hospital clears me with a clean bill of health, but my attending iryo-nin said I could still join in for some light training as long as I don't push myself too hard."

Kakashi's stiffened over his empty bowl of ramen. He finished ages ago when his bowl arrived.

Minato gave a sheepish grin. "No team meeting tomorrow I'm afraid."

"Eh? Why not?" asked Obito, unaware of his teammate's discomfort.

"Kakashi and I are going to meet with the council tomorrow in regards to your promotion gift," answered Minato as Kakashi turned his face away.

"Huh?" frowned Obito and turned to Kakashi. "Why would you need to go do that?"

"…The Uchiha are adamant in its return, I don't deserve it," said Kakashi quietly. "It's not mine to begin with, not since you're back. You could take—"

"Bull shit!" snapped Obito, cutting off his stoic teammate. "Why the hell do they get a say in this? It's my freaking eye! I could give it to whoever the hell I want!"

"But I—" Kakashi never finished.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," growled Obito. "I gave that to you as a gift! And I'm damn well not taking it back. Oh so help me, if you offer to return that eye again I will personally kick your ass so hard, that stick up your ass will come flying out of your mouth."

Kakashi stayed quiet as Obito continued his ramble.

"When is this council meeting tomorrow? I'm so going with you to give those old farts a piece of my mind!" vented Obito. "Minato sensei, I can come along right?

Minato grinned in good humor as he turned an idle eye toward his students. "I don't think that would be a problem. What do you think, Kakashi?"

"…As if he'll be any help," muttered Kakashi. "You're hardly threatening in your current state and that promise of an ass-kicking won't ever come to light. If you show up tomorrow, they're just going to make it worse and then you'll have to face the scrutiny of your clan. Think this through your head before you make it these declarations."

"I'm trying to help you bastard!" grumbled Obito with a shaking fist. "One of these days, I'm going to—"

"But if you do come, I won't stop you," murmured Kakashi, startling Obito out of his train of thought.

It took a moment, but eventually a grin slipped onto Obito's face. "I guess that's the best I'll get from you. So what time?"

"…Knowing you, you're going to be late," drawled Kakashi.

"Kakashi!" growled Obito. "I'm just trying to be supportive and you're—"

"…Thank you," whispered Kakashi.

"Uh… You're welcome?" said Obito in puzzlement. "So yeah, what time? I'll try to be early."

"The world will end the day that happens," drawled Kakashi.

"Hey!" huffed Obito.

Aw, isn't this sweet? I watched as the two exchanged their bantering. Pity, Obito didn't notice at all. Kakashi wasn't thanking him for supporting him at the council. He was thanking him for forgiving his mistakes. Obito would probably never realize this, but from the looks of Rin and Minato, they clearly noticed and hid the knowing smile from their clueless Uchiha.

"Thanks for the meal sensei!" chorused Minato's three students.

"Get home safe," replied Minato as they took off separately. Once out of sight, he turned to Kushina and me. "Should we head home as well?"

Living with new people for the first time was always…weird. You know that feeling where you sleepover at your friend's place when their parents are around? Take that situation and multiply it by two. Sure, you can argue you know them and their family, but even then it's awkward and it's near impossible settle down comfortably.

Not to mention, the instant we made it back, Kushina declared Minato kicked out of their room until the office is turned into a second bedroom. I struggled against the mortified look that threatened t spill onto my face. Hell, I was expecting to take the couch for however long it took for them to decide what to do with me. I didn't expect Kushina to bunk me with her. Seriously, I feel like I just stole the man's girlfriend.

"You don't have to do this. I could take the couch." I suggested uneasily as Kushina and Minato pulled out spare blankets and pillows.

"Aw, you're shy!" gushed Kushina as she pinched my cheeks. "Don't worry, Minato here doesn't mind a bit. Right?"

Minato smiled warmly as he hauled out the futon. "Just treat this as your home Kasa-chan."

"But, but!" I puffed up my cheeks to keep myself from cursing like a sailor

It's not the matter of shyness! It's the life and existence of Naruto! Who knows how long I'm going to be sharing with Kushina if I let this go on? If these two don't get a moment to do the hanky-panky I'm risking the life of the most important person in this universe! Who knows what would happen without Naruto around? What would happen when Suna and Oto invades? What happens when Gaara goes ape-shit and there's no one to take him down? What happens to all the people he subsequently influence during his lifetime?

"You need to share a room!" I argued childishly, stomping my feet for added effect. "You just have to!"

The two stopped momentarily and glanced at each other in puzzlement. They seem to share a silent conversation between themselves before Minato knelt down to my eye level.

"Why is that Kasa-chan?" asked the blonde man, his tone exuding levels of patience and understanding. He would've made a great hokage, heck maybe he could've protected Konoha if he still lived.

"That's because…" I trailed off as the thought hit me.

_Maybe he could save everyone_. The only reason Kyubi managed to break free in the first place was due Kushina's pregnancy. If Naruto wasn't born, if Kushina never gets pregnant… Then they wouldn't die; there might be a better chance at changing everything for the better. As long as Kakashi doesn't end up killing Rin, Obito might never end up as Tobi. I could essentially change everything…

What the hell am I thinking? This is _Naruto's_ universe! What would happen if he ceased to exist? The world might collapse on itself. I'm not a god or a super being. What the hell am I supposed to do if everything turns for the worse? No, I have to ensure the blond idiot's existence.

"Kasa-chan?" said Minato gently pulling my attention back into the present. My eyes focused and guilt shot through me when I saw his sadden, sympathetic blue eyes. "You don't have to keep everything inside. I know you probably don't want to talk about what happened, but you can always come to us and tell us what's bothering you."

"We're family now," said Kushina. "No matter what happens, we'll be here for you."

I bit back a grimace…If only you knew what I thought moments earlier, neither of you would still think that way… I should probably redeem myself and ensure Naruto's survival here.

"… Kaa-san and Tou-san promised me a little brother if I slept in my own room." I lied. "They said I could only get a little brother if only two adults shared a bed."

The reaction wasn't immediate, but when it did happen, both Minato and Kushina flushed red. The blond man quickly covered his embarrassment behind a cough and tried to leave the room.

"Kushina, I think I'll—" He took no more than a step before his redheaded girlfriend grabbed him by the back of his shirt and yanked him back.

"You're not leaving me with this conversation!" hissed Kushina.

"But you're so much better for this one," reasoned Minato light-heartedly, but at the presence of the demonic hair, he quickly changed his tune. "But it's always good to have another perspective of things."

The two traded another silent conversation with subtle hand gestures hinted at their argument to who would broach this embarrassing conversation. The conversation took no more than a couple of seconds. When Kushina ended up talking first, I was surprised that Minato somehow won.

"Kasa-chan, I know you really want a little brother, but um… babies don't work that way," started Kushina awkwardly.

I trembled my lower lip. "…I can't have a little brother?"

Any other time, I would've laughed my ass off at the look of panic crossing their faces… Heck, I might still laugh my ass off in private later. Good god, I never thought I'd get the chance to pull the I-want-a-younger-sibling conversation. I wish I had a camera. The reactions on their faces were priceless!

"That's not what we meant," reasoned Minato as he raised his hands trying to settle my quivering breaths and keep me from crying.

"But…" I sniffled and rubbed my eyes as they began to water. "You said babies don't…" My breath hitched and I started wailing in that high pitch whine that has yet to reach all out bawl. Slow enough to traumatize whoever's watching, but not rough enough to seem like a tantrum.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you abuse the tears of a child.

"K-Kasa-chan, don't cry okay?" stammered Minato as he set the futon aside and tried to settle down my sniffles and hiccups. "We didn't say you wouldn't get your little brother."

"Minato!" Kushina's face flushed, even redder than her hair.

"What I meant to say," amended Minato hastily. "It takes some time for little brothers and sisters to get ready before you can meet them."

I down played my sniffles. "But," I hiccupped. "If I sleep alone they will come faster right? That's why Kaa-san and Tou-san said I should sleep alone right?"

Minato glanced at Kushina, desperate for help.

"Y-yeah!" answered Kushina after another silent exchange. "Baby brothers or sisters don't always come quickly. They're not very fast with their little feet. Sometimes you have to wait."

"But if I'm really good, they will come for my birthday right?" I asked, making sure I tugged at the right heartstrings. I'm a bastard when it comes to this. "With you and Minato-san, we'll be one happy family, right?"

A wistful expression crossed her face as Kushina digested my words. "Maybe," murmured the woman. She must be longing for a family more so than I thought.

"Maybe huh?" grinned Minato wryly as his embarrassment faded and he glanced at her with sly interest.

Startled green eyes met mirthful blue, Kushina realized he heard her answer and flushed a deeper red.

"Why don't we go clear up that office and set up the futon there?" She darted past him and changed the subject.

"Sure," grinned Minato, amused. He turned to me a moment later with a softer smile. "So, little brother huh?"

I nodded brightly. "I'll be the best-est big sister ever!"

Minato chuckled and patted my head. "I'll keep that in mind."

Whew, close save. That was one way to twist an awkward situation into my favor. Hell, it was a miracle that I managed to divert that situation at all. Maybe I got some of that Uzumaki luck from Kaa-san. Ugh, let's hope that luck holds out and not turn into a disaster like Naruto's first C-rank mission bumping all the way up to an A-rank. I don't think my heart can take a threat like that.

* * *

Early next morning, Minato left the apartment to join Kakashi and the rest of their team to face the village council on the matter of Obito's sharingan gift. I have no clue what's going on that front, since Kushina decided we had better things to do than waste our time at a meeting filled with old farts and pretentious clan heads. Things like catching up with old friends and setting your four-year-old relative on a play-date with your best friend's son.

Oh, what the hell? I thought we were going to go sight seeing! Well, it could still be considered sight seeing I suppose. I knew next to nothing about the layout of Konoha aside from the snippets the story revealed whenever pertinent to the plot. The village was bigger than I expected… Not good, I better get a map at some point or I might end up spending the next few years getting lost and trying to find my way around.

"Where are we going?" I asked, giving up trying to piece together just where the heck Kushina was taking me.

"We're going to visit an old friend of mines. I haven't see her in ages since she got married and settled down," said Kushina as she tugged me along by the hand.

"Is she a ninja like you?" I continued the conversation as I wondered who it might be.

I don't recall the story giving much information on Kushina's life before her death. Sure, there's the sappy love story where she fell in love with Minato and snippets of her hot temper as a child due to her hair and her outsider status. Aside from those, I don't recall much if at all about her life outside of being a jinchuriki and Naruto's mother.

"She was," nodded Kushina. "But she retired after she got married and had a son. If I'm right, he should be about your age now."

Wonderful, I have a play-date with a snot-nosed brat. Good lord, it's going to be hell! I haven't seen another kid close to my physical age since I got here! On my lonesome, I'm quite sure I could pass off as a child, albeit, an odd one, but at least then I was alone. Now, if I'm going to stand next to an actual child while keeping up this horrible charades… I'm so screwed.

"Something wrong?" questioned Kushina when my steps slowed.

"I… uh…" I stumbled over my words in a fluster. "What if they don't like me?" Really? That was the best I could come up with? Oh, go kill yourself, Kasa.

Kushina giggled as she tugged me along. "Don't worry, I'm quite sure they'll love you!"

There was nothing else I could've said to get out of this situation. I had no good excuse to pull out my ass. I've already used that up the night before. Instead, I settled following Kushina grimly as she dragged me through the unfamiliar streets of Konoha.

One thing I noticed were the abundance of people walking around wearing… the Uchiha clan's fan symbol? Huh? Oh right! They're not dead yet, maybe in another decade or so… I resisted the urge to frown. Even if they're not dead yet, there's an awful lot of them walking around. Did the Uchiha have that big of a clan to have so many people mingling with the rest of Konoha?

No, the clan wasn't bigger than any other main clans. More like, we were walking in the heart of the Uchiha district. Wasn't that district exclusive only to the Uchiha? I thought they would police the comings and goings of non-Uchiha more strictly than that.

"Here we are!" chirped Kushina as we stopped at an antiquated house. "Hello! Anyone home?"

Judging by the size, whoever lived here must have quite a position in the Uchiha clan... Either that or they were just rich. I didn't get to ponder more on the thought when a dark haired woman came out to greet us. At first she showed the typical stoic front that all Uchiha put up in front of strangers and whomever they thought was beneath them. However, the instance she saw Kushina. Her face lit up with an uncharacteristic Uchiha smile.

"Kushina!" greeted the woman excitedly as she drew my red-haired guardian into a hug. "I haven't seen you in ages! What brings you here?"

"Just thought I visit," grinned Kushina as she dragged me forward. "Also, I want you to meet Kasa-chan. My new little addition to the family."

The woman's eyes widened. "You and Minato…"

Kushina's eyes widened and flustered embarrassingly. "What? No! Kasa's an Uzumaki descent. I found her at the border a week ago along with Obito."

The woman's eyes widened. "Obito? Obito Uchiha? He's still alive?"

"Yeah, it's a long story," sighed Kushina.

"Come in, come in. You can tell me all about it," said the Uchiha woman as she ushered them in.

"... Pardon my intrusion." I murmured quietly.

I probably don't have to worry about manners much if I'm hanging around Kushina, but I rather not get on any Uchiha's bad side at the moment. Who knows what the hell they'd do to me if they think I've crossed them? Heck, these bastards are going to outlive Kushina for at least half a decade. I rather not they decide I'm a nuisance and off me in a heartbeat.

"Oh yeah, didn't you have a son? Why don't we introduce them and let them play on their own while we catch up?" noted Kushina.

"Great idea!" clapped the Uchiha woman in agreement.

"Would you like to make a new friend, Kasa?" grinned Kushina.

Do I have a choice?

"…Sure." I returned with a weak smile.

Dear lord, I'm going to have to deal with some snot-nose Uchiha brat. Someone kill me…

"Come along sweetie," said the dark haired woman as she led us deeper into the house and out to the back garden.

Given the chance, I would've whistled at the size of the place. However, any admiring thoughts of the scenery or architecture were quickly abandoned when we came close to the sounds of shurikens hitting against wood. When we came close enough, I spotted a practice log, dressed with a targeting board and the shurikens have all, if not nearly all, embedded itself at the center of the bull's eye. Impressive, typical Uchiha standard I suppose.

I bit back a groan. Great, I get to talk to a pretentious prodigy instead of a sniveling four-year-old. Better thicken my skin to take whatever insults he throws at me. The abundance of prodigies popping up in this village was ridiculous; someone needs to maintain the status quo here. Regardless of what I thought, nothing could've prepared me for what came out of from the Uchiha woman next. No seriously, nothing could've prepared me.

"Itachi! We have guests, take a break and come over to say hello," said the woman.

I stood stunned as I watched the stoic little boy pull back from his throwing stance and turned to face us. He regarded us with a quick eye before giving a polite bow.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Itachi Uchiha," greeted the boy.

Oh, fuck all kinds of duck.


	8. Chapter Seven: Coping

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Seven: Coping**

As a former adult, there were many things I could tolerate that as I child I probably couldn't. Solitude was one of the things that don't bother me in the least; I could deal with being alone, no problem. Shit storms like explosions and medical emergencies, no problem! I'm the calmest person in the room. I take can charge and get whatever needs to be done, done. I may be a goof, but I can handle a bad situation with a level head if need be.

What I can't handle are awkward silences and non-life threatening social activities. Seriously, I'd rather be held hostage with a gun pressed against my head at point blank any day than to sit through a civil conversation. Hell, I think I rather face Itachi's Tsukuyomi than deal with his long unending silences. I swear, if there's a Guinness World Record in holding awkward silences in the company of others, I think this kid would win it.

"… You must be a riot to talk to." I murmured after we spent all of five minutes in silence. Five minutes was a record for me. Unless I'm alone or watching a movie with someone, it's near impossible to keep me quiet for long. The silence would drive me nuts.

Itachi said nothing as he gave me a passing glance.

"Are you always this quiet?" I asked. "Or are you just doing that thing where children or seen but not heard thing? Because that is a horrible practice and you should totally go into your rebellious phase right now and prank the crap out of everyone. I'll help, it'll be funny."

Silence. If you listen closely, you could hear the condescending crickets in the background. I hear you, you bastards! Stop mocking my existence! I'll end you and all your descendants! I'll kill you all! Kill you with fire! Yeah… this silence is getting to me. I'm totally losing it.

I swung my legs back and forth over the edge of the garden-facing veranda. There wasn't much I could say as an icebreaker. This world simply didn't have a lot of things kids could bond over. No cartoons, no video games, ugh no internet, man do I miss the internet… In short of talking about the weather, the only other thing I could do now was to spam the kid with a ton of questions and hope he'll answer one of them.

"I saw you practicing shurikens, how do you become a ninja here? Do you have to go to some school or something? Or do you parents teach you? Kushina-san said your mom used to be a ninja, is your dad a ninja too? What is Konoha like? I've never been here before." I rambled on and on.

From one topic to the next, to whatever the hell pops up in my head. Hell, I even talked about the weather and the squirrel that passed by, to the point that even I was getting sick of hearing myself talk. Ten minutes of non-stop talking later and the boy still said nothing.

Good god, can I get a single word from this guy? Anything! Even the typical, you're annoying or would you shut up, would do. My throat was parched and I would like more than nothing to stay quiet for the rest of the day. When was the last time I spoke this much?

I can't remember.

In the last four years, learning and understanding the language had priority over everything else. I knew, if I were to survive here, I had to know how to talk, how to read and most importantly, how to listen. The thought never occurred to me that I could have a normal conversation with anyone. How could I? I'm a woman in a child's body. What could I talk about?

Oh, hi Somuku and Tesuri, I'm not really your daughter. I'm actually a full-grown woman from another world that somehow got reborn into your only child. Not only that. I have intimate knowledge of your world that could very topple the entirety of the shinobi world and end all life, as you know it. Yeah, that'd go _so _well during snack time, right next to me trying to get them to let me out of the house for booze and parties.

I sighed in frustration, giving up the conversation with Itachi and plopped backwards onto the veranda floor with my legs still dangling off the edge. If he's not going to respond, I'm not going to bother either. From the veranda, I could see the blue skies, littered with white clouds. Come to think of it, I never lay outside and stared up at the sky even once during my time in Ame. I couldn't have. It always rained.

Speaking of rain… My thoughts drifted to Somuku and Tesuri… Kaa-san and Tou-san… The couple that loved and raised me as their own, not knowing I was a stranger. Not knowing that I might very well have replaced their real daughter, the real Kasa. They protected me, did whatever they could to keep me safe, to give me a chance at living. They were wonderful parents… Yet, all this time, I greedily took it all without ever giving back to them even once.

Guilt gnawed at me. Somuku was dead. I couldn't repay her even if I wanted to. And, as much as I joked about everything and everyone, I couldn't humor the thought that she was still alive. I couldn't, not when I heard the finality of her goodbye and saw the desperation in her eyes as she gave Tesuri that final kiss.

When I found out what the seals she burned into my arms were, I couldn't even lie to myself and pretend that she was still alive, somewhere out there. Someone who was certain of their survival wouldn't pass down their knowledge in such a manner. My arms were permanently scarred with these seals. Somuku would never use such a method if she weren't pressed for time.

She was patient; she had a way with teaching and making me understand whatever she taught. For her to use such a seal on me was an act of finality. No doubt, she knew this would scar me and mark me for all who were familiar with sealing, but this knowledge was precious, more precious than any secret or technique. She desperately wanted—no, needed me to carry on this knowledge.

Are you familiar with the phrase, your memory lives on through your children? From what I managed to piece together from activating the seal, the knowledge passed onto me wasn't simply a collection of Ushiogakure's history or the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts or dangerous techniques. Rather it held the very essence of the clan's people. What Somuku wanted me to carry was not her family's skill, but their memory. These seals were the equivalent to a family album.

I took a deep breath as I felt an uncomfortable lump at the back of my throat, but it hardly mattered when a hot pressure built behind my eyes. I released a shaky sigh as I pressed the back of my arms against my eyes, desperate not to make a sound or curl into a ball. Why was my body choosing now to deal with this? Why couldn't it have done this when I was alone?

I know it usually takes some time for trauma to set into my mind. I have a bad habit of repressing and ignoring things that bothers me for long periods of time. My last memory of doing something like this was after my dog passed away. It took a month before one day I just woke up crying. Probably not the healthiest way to cope with the string of things, but it is what it is.

Think of something else. Just think of something else.

What about Tesuri? Was he okay? Did he manage to get away? No, don't think about Tesuri either. Thinking about him would just get me worked up again. Stop thinking. Just stop thinking!

"You're a strange one," murmured Itachi, his voice pulling me from my thoughts. "You rambled endlessly on things you could care less about, but when you quiet down to your own thoughts, you look like you were ready to cry."

"I'm not crying." I retorted childishly. I didn't dare lower my arms, I'm quite sure my eyes were red by now.

"What were you thinking about?" asked Itachi.

"Why should I tell you?" I grumbled. "You ignored everything else I talked about."

"You weren't interested in talking to me," replied the boy.

Okay, he got me there. I wasn't being fair, talking just for the sake of talking. It's not like I tried to make friends with the kid or asked about his thoughts and interests. Can you blame me? You and I both know very well whom he is and what the hell he's going to do.

Sure, he did it for the good of Konoha, but he also created the very person that betrayed Konoha and help bring about the Fourth Shinobi War. I don't care if the little prick has a change of heart later, it doesn't change the fact he's an asshole that led the pain and destruction of his own village. No amount of emo backstory will excuse him and his actions.

"Then why are you talking to me?" I asked. Lowering my arms slightly, I peeked at his reaction. His attention stayed on the garden in front of us, not giving up anything on his face. This kid had one heck of a poker face.

"You don't like the silence," answered Itachi without a sideways glance.

"…Huh?" I couldn't help but voice out in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't like the silence," repeated the boy. "That's why you kept talking. To keep away whatever you don't want to think about."

I gave up all pretense of peeking and openly stared at him. I just got ousted by a child, a genius child, but a child nonetheless. Was I that obvious?

"There are better ways to keep the silence away, if you can't stand it," noted Itachi.

"Like what?" I asked, shifting my arms to my forehead instead to get a better look of him.

"Training," answered the Uchiha boy.

I rolled my eyes. How typical, the Uchiha were adrenaline junkies. I swear if they weren't stoic assholes, they would fit in very well with the extreme sports fanatics. Can you imagine Itachi or Sasuke screaming, "Dude! To the extreme man! I'm totally rocking this bro!" Like that would never happen. Hell would freeze over first.

Yet… I found myself fighting a giggling fit at the thought. I pressed a fist against my lips to silence myself. My body shook as I curled up on my side, desperately trying to stop the roar of laughter threatening to spill from my lips. Oh god, I think I'm going to die.

"Do you want me to get Kushina-san for you?" asked Itachi, his voice tinged with a hint of worry as he tried to pull me out from my thoughts again.

"No." I squeaked out, gasping desperately for air as I fought against the urge to laugh.

"…Do you want me to do anything?" offered the boy, his placid voice showing signs of concern.

I fought against a smile as I bit my lower lip. Should I have him do it? He might not do it… but it doesn't hurt to suggest it, at least.

"C-can…" I took a gulp of air to keep my voice stable. "Can you say the words _to the extreme_?" My voice cracked near the end.

"Would it help?" asked Itachi, sounding very puzzled at the request.

I gave a jerky nod, biting my fist, not trusting myself not to die laughing at this point.

"…To the extreme," said the boy in the most deadpan manner I've ever heard.

Nothing could've stopped me as I burst out laughing like a maniac. My chest heaved with each laugh. My body shook as I tried desperately to stop laughing. I couldn't help it; my fists pounded the ground, my legs flailed in the air. I laughed till I cried, I laughed till I couldn't make a sound. I laughed so hard that I'm quite sure everyone in the Uchiha district could hear me. There was nothing I could do to end this. And there was nothing I wanted to do to end this.

"Oh gods, you're killing me!" I laughed, clenching at the pain in my chest from laughing so hard. "That was so awesome!"

"What exactly was so funny?" asked Itachi, unmoving from his spot as he watched me with a confused frown. "I only repeated what you asked me to say. How is _to the extreme_ hilarious?"

"You are a riot!" I giggled uncontrollably, still rolling around on the ground like the idiot I am.

"Kasa-chan?" Kushina's confused voice came from down the hall before she and Itachi's mother, Mikoto turned around the corner.

"What happened Itachi?" The Uchiha matron frowned in confusion at the sight of me laughing my ass off.

At the lost expression on Itachi's face, I found myself dying in another fit of laughter. He really had no clue what the hell is going on with me.

"…I believe Kasa-san might be crazy," noted Itachi. The bluntness of that statement nearly threw me into another fit.

"Kushina-san, save me!" I wheezed between my giggling fits. "He's trying to make me laugh to death."

Mikoto's brows rose in surprise at my words, probably the last thing she expected to hear about her son. "…Itachi?"

"I did no such thing," retorted Itachi, the confusion still clear on his face.

"Kasa-chan, you need to calm down," suggested Kushina as she gathered me into her arms. "Can you do that?"

"I-I'll try." I gulp in air as I struggled to calm down, but I cackled as she kept me propped up against her lap. Good god, I can't even sit up on my own with how hard I'm laughing.

"Why don't we settle down with a nice cup of tea?" suggested Mikoto when it didn't seem like I was going to stop. "Itachi, why don't you come help me with the snacks?"

The boy nodded before getting up and giving me one last odd glance. He followed his mother to the kitchen while I continued to laugh my ass off. By the time I managed to calm myself, I found it was near impossible to wipe the grin stitched to my face.

"Are you calm now?" asked Kushina as she brushed away the sweaty locks that clung to my face from laughing.

"Hehe, yeah." I grinned back up at her.

"You had fun," humored Kushina. "What was so funny?"

"You won't get it, it's an inside joke." I answered as I pulled myself into a sitting position. Oh man, my sides were in stitches.

"Oh? Something only between you and Itachi?" teased Kushina.

"No?" I said in puzzlement. "I don't think he got the joke, but it's still funny!"

"Hmm? Do you like Itachi-kun?" hummed Kushina in amusement.

I stared at her confused before the sly grin registered in my head. Oh, you've got to be kidding me!

"Don't give me that look. Kasa-chan has a crush doesn't she?" teased Kushina.

What the hell is wrong with you, woman? Do you know how many levels of wrong is this? Fine, I'm physically four and she doesn't know I'm mentally not, but Itachi, really? I've already dealt with one trauma today I don't need to deal with feeling like a cradle robber.

"Do you think Mikoto-san would give me Itachi as a brother? Or are you and Minato-san going to give me a little brother?" I chirped in retaliation.

Don't you dare set up some weird shit, like arranged marriage or whatever! I swear I will make you and Minato's life a living hell if you dare!

Kushina's face flushed red. "Kasa-chan, I thought we agreed that little brothers and sisters take some time to get here."

"Yeah, but until they get here, Itachi could be my temporary brother right?" I reasoned.

I rather not have any closer contact with the kid, but if Kushina is going to push on the matter of crushes and whatever traumatic possibility in the future, I might as well use this as a chance to snip it in the bud right now. Really, not interested in joining the Uchiha. They're all crazy, crazier than me and that's saying something!

"We'll have to ask Itachi's mother about it," answered Kushina as she pulled me to my feet. "Come on, let's go help them with the snacks and drinks."

One thing I learned to like about the Japanese culture in this new body, I love their short tables. As a child, the height was perfect. Well, as perfect as you can get I suppose. I don't have to worry about falling off a chair, at least.

What I grew to love even more from my previous life was the tea. Not a big soda fan to tell the truth. I am a tea addict through and through, and a nightmare to every dentist I've ever seen. Really, it's become that bad that they scold me every single time I go because I always show up with tea-stained teeth. Good thing I don't like sweets or they might just murder me for any cavities I get on top of staining my teeth.

"So Kasa-chan, how do you like Konoha so far?" asked Mikoto as she served tea to each of us.

"It's fun." I answered as I accepted my cup. "Itachi's really funny."

"I wasn't being funny," noted Itachi.

Mikoto gave an odd look between the two of us before she shook her head with a smile. "I heard you wanted to become a iryo-nin. Are you going to the academy anytime soon? Itachi started classes already."

"Can I?" I asked glancing over to Kushina. "I thought I couldn't be a ninja until I got older."

My red-haired guardian patted my head. "Remember what Hokage-sama said? You can join the academy whenever you think you're ready."

Serious? I thought I would have to wait until I was a bit older or something since I'm technically not a legitimate Konoha citizen… Well, not yet anyway.

"Wooh! Can I join now? I want to join now!" I bounced in my seat.

Getting trained early would be a major advantage. I could ask Kushina and Minato for tutoring and help if I get stuck. Heck, I could maybe get them to make some custom seals or something before they hit the grave. I'm sure as hell not going to find another seal master anytime soon if that happens. Hey, don't judge me. I don't know how long they're going to live, not with Obito around now. I need to prepare for the worst if it happens.

"We can get you enrolled later today if you want. There are no classes at the academy today, but there should be some administrative workers there to deal with the necessary paperwork," said Mikoto. "You'll probably share classes with Itachi."

What were the chances of that? I'm quite sure there is more than one class per age group. Kyubi hasn't decimated the village; there shouldn't be an issue with admissions.

"Oh right, wasn't there something about a lower admission rate this year or something along the lines of that?" asked Kushina.

Mikoto nodded as she pushed the plate of snacks forward. "Not a lot of civilian families are registering for the academy and with the current war and state of affairs, there aren't many shinobi raising families. I think Itachi and Kasa are probably the few in their age group."

"Right, right…" murmured Kushina as they continued on with their own conversation.

Well, that conversation was... convenient. I almost forgot about the war. Geez, a day inside of Konoha and I forget the world exists outside of this village. I'm not going to survive very long with my attention span. Man, why do I keep slipping back to such depressing thoughts? Was the high from my laughing fit wearing off? Oh, that's going to suck…

The sound of ceramic sliding across a wooden table snapped me out of my thoughts before I noticed a plate with an innocently looking Sakura mochi in front of me. I blinked in surprise as I glanced towards the retreating pale hand. Confusion crossed my face as the boy picked up his tea acting as if he never offered me the treat.

"I don't like sweets." I murmured quietly, not to interrupt the _adults'_ conversation. Ha, adults. Man, it's going to be a while before I could call myself that again.

"It'll keep the silence away," reasoned Itachi. "I rather not have you in another laughing fit again."

I found a grin sneaking onto my face. Aw, isn't he a little sweet heart? I guess the Uchiha clan has a heart… somewhere… buried beneath the mountain of emo and brother issues… Hmm… technically, Itachi is an only child at the moment and Obito doesn't have any siblings right?

Maybe the emotional constipation doesn't affect Uchiha children with the only child status. Huh… that's an interesting thought. Though, not that I could do anything about it, it's not like I could enforce a one-child rule with these assholes. Can you imagine the shit storm that would come up if anyone tried?

These self-entitled bastards were ready to stage a coup because they thought the village was repressing them. What do you think would happen if Konoha regulated their reproductive rights? A civil war is the least of your problems. You're going to have other tight-ass clans like Hyuga joining in and good lord; it's going to be ugly.

When that chapter of Konoha history is written, it'll be titled "Clash of Emotionally Constipated Geniuses." I'm totally serious, that should be the title. Silliness aside, I should probably not indulge on these thoughts too often. I think I might've scared the Uchiha matron with my laughing fit. A smile rose up from the thought of a traumatized Uchiha woman. However, before it went any further, I felt a hard tap at my forehead.

"Ow!" I retorted with a hand to my head as I snapped out of my thoughts. It took a second before I realized what happened. Did Itachi just… I glanced up at him, in time to see a retreating hand with two fingers pointed out.

"Itachi!" scolded Mikoto.

"Sorry, she was going to laugh again," said Itachi as he backed away from my end of the table and sat down.

Kushina snorted and cracked up laughing, I puffed up my cheeks in annoyance. Oh, that bastard. Of all the things he could've done, he did a forehead poke on me! A forehead poke! I'm five—no, six times this kid's age and I got forehead poked as if I was his self-entitled little brother! What the hell?

"You know this means war, little boy." I muttered quietly under Kushina's mirth and Mikoto's disbelief.

Itachi picked up his own Sakura mochi and started munching away without a care in the world. Somehow… it feels like I just lost to a four-year-old… And he doesn't even seem to care… this is sad.

* * *

Kushina and I left the Uchiha household sometime later after tea and snacks. Mikoto was friendly enough to invite me to come visit again if I ever felt like it. Not likely I'll take up on that. I had enough Uchiha for one day and would prefer not seeing another one for sometime… unless they're Obito, because he's Obito, the least Uchiha-like person in his clan.

By mid-noon, I was enrolled in the Academy, my first class starts in two days' time. For the rest of the day, Kushina decided she wanted to use me as a living doll… Did I mention shopping was my worst nightmare? Oh, don't get me wrong I love buying stuff! What girl doesn't? Give me an unlimited card that I don't need to pay back and you'll find a hefty amount of clothes and other useless junk I probably don't need.

So, why was shopping considered a nightmare? Good question, and the simple answer is… I shop online only. I don't like crowds, I don't like pushy salespeople and I don't like waiting on line. I like to skip all that hassle if possible and shop at the comfort of my own home. Not needing to lug the crap back on my lonesome was a bonus.

The fact that this world didn't have internet was enough to make me cry and subsequently, no online shopping made me want to scream. I abhor interacting with people when I don't need to. Call me anti-social all you want. I'm not; I'm just selectively social, thank you very much.

"What's your favorite color Kasa-chan?" asked Kushina as she held one shirt after another over me in front of the mirror.

"Uh… red, green and blue?" I muttered the three colors I wouldn't mind wearing. It's not that I hate any of the other colors; I just preferred not to wear them. Gods, what I'd give to be able to sit in front of a computer and just click away…

In the end, I gave Kushina full freedom of picking and choosing whatever the hell that's going into my new wardrobe, it doesn't matter what the hell I wear as a child, as long as I'm not a walking target. I could always buy clothes I like when I get older. Less of a hassle and I won't have someone fighting against me about any piece of clothing I decide on. That and I wanted to get out of shopping pronto.

Being at the height of an ankle biter is enough to give anyone claustrophobia in a clothing store with racks and racks of clothes towering over you. I was ready to cry when we stopped by the administrative building to meet up with Minato and his team for lunch.

"Hey Kasa-chan!" greeted Obito before I latched myself onto him. He gave a chuckle as he patted my head. "Missed me much?"

I nodded and hugged him tighter. "Kushina-san took me shopping." I wailed. "It was horrible!"

"It wasn't that bad," said Kushina as she rolled her eyes before she turned to Minato. "How did the council meeting go?"

"They're discussing it now, we'll have a verdict some time later today or tomorrow," answered Minato with a weary expression. "But considering what Obito did, I'm not quite sure what the outcome would be."

"What did Obito do?" Kushina tilted her head curiously.

Kakashi said nothing as he looked away. Rin and Minato grimaced before giving the Obito a look.

"What?" snapped Obito as he threw up his hands. "So what if I renounced my relations with my clan? What I do is none of their business! Their main argument at the council was that I am a part of their clan and any action I take reflects on them. I don't know how exactly giving my eye to Kakashi affects the clan in any manner, but if I'm not longer an Uchiha, they can't claim that it's a clan issue."

"You renounced your clan?" said Kushina in disbelief.

"It's not like anyone will miss me anyway," shrugged Obito. "Before I could activate my sharingan, they never gave me the time of day. I don't see what the big deal is!"

"They're your family," murmured Rin.

"Well, _my family_ was ready to rip out the eye I gave Kakashi on the spot and punish you for putting it there in the first place," reasoned Obito. "So, excuse me if I don't think this is a big lost on my part."

"Obito…" started Kakashi quietly.

"Besides," a bright grin plastered over the former Uchiha's face. "You guys are closer than my family anyway. Hell, you guys might as well be my family."

His teammates looked startled at his declaration, not convinced over his words. Minato and Kushina shared a sad glance as they held their tongue over the matter. This was something Obito and his teammates needed to resolve on their own… but that doesn't mean they have to do it here and now.

"Does that mean I could have Obito as my big brother?" I changed the subject when no one spoke.

Obito grinned at the change in topic and picked me up. "Of course! If you don't mind having a someone like me as a brother."

"Yay! Then when Kushina-san and Minato-san have a ba—" A hand quickly covered over my mouth as I was yanked away from Obito's arms.

"That's enough Kasa-chan," said Minato pleasantly as he held me in his arms, hand still firmly planted over my mouth. "I'm quite sure Obito is happy that you want him to be your big brother."

The group stood still as they stared at Minato and Kushina in fascination.

"… Sensei, what is this about you and Kushina-san having a baby?" drawled Kakashi with a hint of mirth hidden in his voice.

"Kushina-san, are you…" Rin covered her mouth in shock as she glanced over to the woman's stomach.

"No!" Kushina's face flushed red and blurted. "Kasa-chan just really wants a little brother!"

"Little brother huh?" Obito waggled his brow. "Something you want to tell us, Minato sensei?"

Rin squealed excitedly. "Oh, are you two going to get married? Or are you going to just start a family?"

"We're not having a baby!" said Minato, utterly flustered by the barrage of questions from his students.

"I thought we were your cute little students, sensei. How could you hide this from us?" quipped Kakashi in mock hurt, his amusement clearly showing through despite having nearly his whole face covered.

If Minato didn't have a hand over my mouth, I would've been evil and demanded to know why he and Kushina lied about giving me a little brother. However, since I've already accomplished my mission in diverting the tense atmosphere, I'll let them off for now. No promises for the future if they're unfortunate enough to do something that's torture worthy. All in all, this was a good second day in Konoha. I think I'm going to like living here.


	9. Chapter Eight: Ripples from Raindrops

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Eight: Ripples from Raindrops**

Going to ninja school! Yes, I said ninja school, be jealous. I'm going to learn how to use kunais and throw shurikens and how to use chakra. I'm going to be a ninja god! Believe it!

Kidding, kidding, no need to grab the pitchforks and torches to end my second existence.

The academy's not that awesome or all that cracked up to be. Most of the classes at this point were all out of textbook, strictly theoretical, boring and uneventful. Don't blame them; I wouldn't trust a bunch of kids with sharp, pointy weapons either. Not when a good number of them won't even graduate to genin. Thirty-three percent rate passing? Yeah, it's not going to happen for most people.

Me? I'm going to damn well pass. No way, in hell, am I staying a freaking civilian in this world. If I'm going to die, it better be due to my own stupid mistake. Not because I couldn't defend myself… I'd like to say that… but…

"…You're not very good in math are you?" noted Itachi when we got our quizzes back.

"Shut up." I retorted, glaring at the neat hundred on his paper. Damn child prodigy.

I hate geometry. Why couldn't it have been algebra instead, I could totally tell you what the value of x is. Why do I need to know geometry? If they argue that I need to know how to calculate this shit in order to throw a freaking kunai, I will take that kunai and shove it up their ass. Who the hell will have time to do this bullshit during a fight? This sort of work is for mathematicians with too much time on their hands.

And before anyone argues that it will help make setting traps easier, I say screw you. I've played freaking Worms Armageddon and Angry Birds. I will muscle memory that shit. Tell me I can't hit something, and I'll show you what I can do. The first time I went paintballing, I've manage to hold three members of the other team at bay before the ref gunned us down because some idiot on the team accidentally shot him...

Okay, I'm the idiot that shot him, but that's not my point. The point is that I'm not going to remember how to calculate this shit on the field without a calculator! Why the hell do I need to learn it? Since I can't draw seals to save my life, the argument of learning it for the sake of seals was also moot point!

"Whoever failed the quiz, you will need to take remedial lessons and take the retest next week," said our instructor. "This is mandatory."

BANG!

I dropped my head on the desk with a whimper… Sadly, that wasn't the only thing I'm bad at in the academy. The kunoichi lessons weren't much better from the standard classes.

"…Kasa, that's not how you put on eyeliner…" said the kunoichi instructor, her eye twitching as she graded my performance. "Unless you were aiming to look like a panda…"

Yeah… I wasn't very good at putting on makeup in my previous life either. Though, I didn't need those lessons to know I'm not particular strong in book smarts or subtle kunoichi arts. Theory is not my thing. I'm more capable of understanding things in practice. I'm what they know as the hands on sort of girl.

I can't name every plant by its textbook name, but I could recognize them by sight and smell and note how many ways it can kill someone whether alone or in conjunction with another, but it's near useless for the theoretical exam because I can't identify half the damn names.

If someone told me that I was going back to school again, I would've shot them and told them not a chance. I really hope we start the practical lessons soon. I'm dying here!

"… You do know that glaring at your textbook doesn't help with studying right?" commented Hana Inuzuka as she ate her bento that afternoon.

She was a year older than me, but that hardly matters since the admission rates were so low. A good number of shinobi hopefuls were lumped into the same classes, making life hell. You think high school drama was bad? You've never seen ninja school drama… Preschooler Edition! You'd be surprise how terrifying these little monsters are.

Good thing for me… or bad, depending how you look at it. I have no interest in joining their little social circle. Good because I don't have to deal with the drama, bad… well, it's not that bad, bad because I'm pretty much ostracized by nearly every girl close to my age. Let's just say I don't take well to being bossed around by tiny little Prima Donnas. Seriously, if any of you bastards try to drag me into a soap opera drama I will find out where you live and I will _end _you.

If I have to work with any of these Prima Donnas in the future, I am utterly screwed. I can't even pretend to be pleasant around these hellions. Good lord, if they existed in my old world, they would definitely be the type to join the child beauty pageants or terrorize their peers in high school. Nothing against girls like those, they can do whatever they want. Even if it's to be an utterly miserable human being, they're free to do so, just give me no part in their drama. Ignore me and I'll ignore you, live and let live.

Of course, in every group there is an exception. Hana, being Tsume's daughter was one of the biggest. Unlike the other girls, she kept to herself and her three ninkens. Sure, they tried their little soap opera stunt with her, but I think she's pretty much on the same boat as me where we won't tolerate their little popularity game.

It wasn't hard to like her. How could I not when she has not one, not two, but _three_ ninkens? Did I tell you I'm a major sucker for dogs? Yeah, I totally had to be her friend just so I can play with them. Just kidding, that's not the only reason... Though, it is one of the many.

I whimpered and smashed the book on my face, laying flat on the academy grounds. "I can't remember any of it!"

The instant I hit the ground, Hana's three ninkens decided it was fun to play tug of war with my hair. I couldn't be bothered to shoo them away as I groaned desperately under my book.

"You'll get it eventually, how's your diction coming along?" asked Hana in between bites.

"Ugh… Don't talk about diction class. If I have to recite another floral line of poetry, I'm going to hurl." I groaned miserably.

Compared to Tsume, Hana was less intense and less terrifying, but still just as capable. She probably had the highest grade in the kunoichi classes and trailing by a couple of others behind Itachi in the joint shinobi classes. I think there were one or two boys and one girl that ranked higher than her in the joint classes.

Me? Uh… I'm somewhere at the bottom… All right, I'm dead last, but only because I'm horrible in the theoretical work. I swear, once the practical exams start, I'll get better! Honest!

I stayed at the bottom of class rankings for three months. It was the worst three months of my life. In addition to classes and exams, were seal lessons from Minato and Kushina. Why did I have seal lessons with them when I couldn't make a single seal to save my life? Thanks to my natural activator inclination, I could activate any given seal given I have enough chakra.

With that said, it also meant I'm a walking catastrophe if I ever go near seals. Given how easily I could activate them, a simple brush of my hand could have several explosive tags go off without warning. See the problem there? Let's say someone has a storage seal, if I happen to brush up against it, I could open it and spill out everything that's sealed into that scroll. Yeah, I'm banned from going near Kakashi until I get that under control. Who knew he carried so many storage scrolls.

These lessons meant to teach me to identify a seal on sight and control my chakra well enough to avoid unintentional activations. Let me tell you, memorizing hundreds of squiggly-lined patterns and the list of commonly used fuinjutsu kanji is not fun. Depending how it's drawn where it's placed, the seal could do completely different things or blow up in your face.

Thank goodness, my activator ability doesn't automatically activate faulty seals. Kushina reasoned that it could be because faulty seals wasn't as efficient as complete seals and couldn't process the chakra I unintentionally sent to activate them. Though, if I forced it, I could probably still activate the faulty seals.

Ugh… I've managed to understand… maybe half of whatever they made me memorize. If I want to use pre-made seals in the future, I better brush up on my studies with them because I really don't want to have anything blow up in my face. Learning how to deactivate seals would be useful too… It'd suck if I activated a seal and had no way to turn it off before it drained every last ounce of chakra in me.

Yeah, death by chakra exhaustion, definitely not fun… What was I talking about again? Oh right, it sucks to stay at the bottom rankings for three months. During that time, I became the butt of nearly all jokes and the target for bullies. What is it with children and their tendency to lean towards cruelty?

Oh don't worry, they haven't scarred me from life… though, I don't think I'd ever want children in the future because of them…

"Ka-sa, Ka-sa, Kasa the umbrella!" sung the children in slight harmony to the neiner-neiner-neiner melody. Some were more off key than others.

"What's wrong with your hair dead last? It looks dirty, like someone puked on it. Don't you ever shower?" said another, mocking my hair mainly because it was a weird color.

I got one of each at least three-four times a day. Most of the time I ignore them. They're just stupid little kids. They're harmless little taunts. What am I going to do? Beat them senseless? Well… I could, but then that'll just be letting what they say get to me. As long as they don't get physical, I don't think I'd care.

Unfortunately, with my luck, it always escalates. Nearing the end of three months, someone decided it would be funny to put gum in my hair. Any other time, I would've just ignored it, but after three months of this bullshit, enough was enough.

"All right, who's the dipshit that put this in my hair?" I sighed in annoyance as I glared at the offending piece of gum tangled in my hair. It was impossible to get out without cutting it.

"Did you see anyone putting that in your hair dead last?" drawled generic Bully Number One. Yeah, I didn't bother remembering their names. Why bother when I'm trying not to hold a grudge over stupid little kids?

"You probably got it from being so dirty. Don't blame us," retorted Brat Number Two.

"Ha-ha, hilarious." I droned. "No seriously, who put this in my hair?"

"You did that to yourself. I don't know what you're talking about," huffed Boy Number Three.

I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. They're just kids Kasa, let it go. I really was going to let them go… Really I was. However, one of them had the smart idea of shoving my head down and smearing the gum further into my hair.

Guess what I did! No really, guess.

I grabbed the brat's hand the instant he pushed off the back of my head and twisted it behind his back. With a violent kick behind his knee, the boy was on the ground and I pushed his arm back further and further. He shouted in pain as I sat on his back with his arm firmly in my grip.

"Do you like that you little brat?" I growled.

"Ow! Let go! You're going to break my arm!" snapped Brat Number Two.

"Why don't you make me? What can't take on a dirty little girl?" I retorted, smashing his head into the ground. "Come on!"

"Hell you're crazy! Let go of me!" shouted the boy, but I had a firm grip on him.

Hanging with Hana, playing with her ninken was a regular pastime. With the three dogs, tug of war and grappling became the typical games we played. And let me tell you, when you play that rough with ninkens, you gain quite a grip.

"Why don't you and your little friends make me?" I cut through his protests with the most condescending tone. "What, is this dead last beating you?"

"Guys! What the hell are you standing there for? Help me!" shouted Brat Number Two.

Bully Number One and Boy Number Three didn't take more than a second to move when their friend called for help. When they grabbed my arms, I released the brat and grabbed Bully Number One's arm and hauled him over my shoulder, smashing his face into the ground. Boy Number Three was a little smarter and looped his arms under my arms and pulled me back, keeping my arms away from grabbing anything.

Too bad for him, I'm in a foul mood and when I'm in a foul mood, I play nasty! I pulled my legs up using the extra weight to drag him down before I planted my feet on the ground using it as a kick off to knock him on his back. I landed on him, knocking the air out of his lungs and forced him to let go of my arms.

By then, Brat Number Two and Bully Number One recovered and made their way back to me again. No doubt, they're pissed that a little girl like me was kicking their sorry ass. Man, I wished Hana was here, her ninken would've deterred these idiots, but no, she was out sick today.

I'm not sure if I should be glad that we haven't learned much taijutsu yet or angry. At the moment, this was nothing more than a schoolyard brawl. I probably have a bit more fight in me to knock down another one of these idiots, but being a child and a girl, none of my attacks have much punch behind them. No doubt, the instant all three of them recover, I'm going to get my ass kicked.

Do I regret letting anger get the best of me?

"Take this you stupid brat!" I said before I punched Brat Number Two square in the nose.

Nope, not at all. I regret nothing!

"Get her!" shouted Bully Number One as he and Boy Number Three charged towards me. Brat Number Two was down for the count due to the nosebleed I just gave him.

You may be wondering why there were no teachers around to break up this scuffle. To tell the truth, I don't know either and at the moment, I wish I did. I could use some adult intervention right about now. Bully Number One tackled me to the ground and started yanking at my hair and Boy Number Three joined in with kicking my side. Just wait till I get older, I'm going to murder all three of you in your sleep!

"Three against one is hardly fair," interrupted an unfamiliar voice. "And against a girl?"

I huffed in annoyance as I turned to the voice. Black hair, dark eyes, and pale skin… Don't recognize him, but I do recognize the Uchiha symbol on his shirt. What is with the Uchiha slapping their clan crest on everything they own? Do they think someone's going to steal their clothes or something? Geez, just how many members of the Uchiha clan am I going to run into?

Not exactly sure how old he is, but he looked at least a good two to three years older than me, if his height was any indication. No hitai-ate, so not a genin yet.

"What, you want to help the dead last?" snorted Bully Number One.

The Uchiha looked thoughtful. "Hmm… it looks like she's handling herself pretty well," murmured the boy. "You know, calling her dead last isn't very nice since she could take all three of you on."

"What did you say?" snapped Bully Number One.

"Just because you think you're an Uchiha that you're a hotshot?" growled Boy Number Three.

… Is he helping me or trying to rile them up further to kick my ass? Never mind, they're distracted; this is as a good as a time as ever to play dirty. Bully Number One still had my hair in his grip, but a firm kick to the loins was more than enough to loosen his grip. The boy whimpered a protest as I yanked my hair out of his hand and scrambled to get away from them.

Ouch, I hope my side doesn't bruise; Kushina's not going to be happy to see that. Boy Number Three roared as he charged after me, but before he could grab my leg, I was scrambling on the floor, the Uchiha stepped in and sent a roundhouse kick to his face.

"Again?" grinned the Uchiha before the three boys scrambled to get away.

"We'll get you next time Mon!" snapped the boys as they fled.

You cannot believe the relief I felt as I let myself drop to the ground like jelly. I don't even care that I'm face flat on the dirt with gum in my hair. Man, that was exhausting. I have a lot of work ahead of me, if I'm going to get this body up to standards. Balls, I hate exercise.

"Hey, you still alive?" asked the Uchiha… The hell, he's still here?

"What do you want?" I sighed in exasperation and sat up, running a hand through my hair. Shit, it's really in there. I could've gotten away with just cutting the surface before, now I really have to cut it. Damn it, I really wanted to learn the demonic hair trick from Kushina.

"Why didn't call for help?" asked the Uchiha curiously.

"I can handle it." I answered as I got up and pat the dust off my clothes. "Besides who would come help the dirty little dead last?"

"I think Itachi would," replied the Uchiha.

I paused and glanced up at him. "Itachi?"

"If you asked that is," added the boy as he pocketed his hands and glanced up to the tree not too far from us. "He's not really good with talking to people. Most of the time he just ignores them, but I heard from Mikoto-san that you got him quite riled."

"Riled and Itachi, in the same sentence?" I guffawed at the thought. "That's a first."

"Well, you're definitely the first girl that he managed to talk to without boring them away," grinned the Uchiha.

"I'm also the first nut to declare war on him, but he totally ignored my challenge." I grumbled.

"War?" The Uchiha raised a brow.

"For poking me in the forehead!" I snapped. "I was in the middle of a funny thought and he totally knocked me out of it." Well, that was one of the excuses… the main one was just indignation that I've been bested by a child a sixth of my age.

"You mean like this?" said the boy before he tapped my head with two fingers, in the same exact manner as Itachi.

"What is with you Uchiha poking my forehead? Is there a poke me sign on there or something?" I gave a low growl rubbing my forehead.

The boy sniggered. "More like I'm the one who started this in the first place."

"Huh?" I started, puzzled. Who is this guy?

"Aw, Itachi!" gushed the boy as he directed his comment to the tree he stared at earlier. "I didn't know you looked up to me that much to emulate my affections towards others! I'm touched!"

What?

"I'm not emulating you Shisui," retorted Itachi as he jumped out from hiding. "I was stopping her from going into another psychotic laughing fit."

Wait a sec, that little bastard was here the whole time? What the hell? And he just sat there watching? The little prick, wait until I learn how to use chakra and jutsus because I'm going to—Did he say Shisui?

"You went out of your way to stop her that means you care," grinned Shisui. "Oh, little Itachi is growing up so fast!"

"Shisui, you sound like an old man," deadpanned Itachi.

"That just means I'm wise beyond my years," chirped the older Uchiha.

…What the hell is going on here? Did I slip into some weird alternative universe or something? Itachi's being… a kid for a change. Isn't there a rule somewhere that says he has to act like a mini-adult at all times? Wait! Don't tell me this is the Road to Ninja reality! Oh good god… What weird shit am I in for?

Did I ensure the survival of Menma? Shit! Konoha's going to get blown up! Calm down Kasa, calm down. Don't panic, you're overlooking something. Kakashi's a stoic bastard; he's not the happy go lucky idiot. Minato's badass awesome, he'll become the Fourth Hokage, you'll see! You're safe, Konoha's safe. But what the hell is with this social Itachi? Breathe Kasa, breathe! Oh gods, I'm going to hyperventilate, someone get me a paper bag!

With all these thoughts were running through my brain, my body stayed perfectly still on the outside. I don't think I register what happened while I was having a mental breakdown, but before I could pass out from my inner turmoil, I felt another annoying tap to my forehead.

"Stop dazing off," said Itachi as he snapped out of my thoughts with another poke.

"Poke my head one more time and you will come to school looking like a duck tomorrow!" I threatened. "I know where you live!"

Shisui whistled. "That's quite a threat Kasa-chan. You're going to be able to carry that out?"

"I can—" Another poke.

"I accept your challenge," said Itachi as he lowered his arm.

"Itachi," chided Shisui with mirth.

"You're on!" I roared.

When classes were over, I made my way to Obito's apartment. On days that Kushina and Minato were out in missions I stayed with Obito. He no longer lived in the Uchiha district since his denouncement of his clan, but with his chunin salary, he managed on his own. The council accepted his decision and approved his actions in giving Kakashi his sharingan. Fugaku was not happy to say the least.

Obito stayed with us in Minato and Kushina's apartment for a short duration until he found his own place. The other reason was that Minato wanted to keep an eye on the former Uchiha in case Fugaku and the clan wanted to pull something in retaliation of Obito's actions. None of this was told to me directly, but I've managed to piece together the picture from the snippets of conversation I managed to overhear when they thought I wasn't listening.

"I'm home!" I shouted as I crashed into Obito's apartment. "Obito! Are you here? I need help pranking a Uchiha!" I kicked off my shoes at the door and darted into the living area. "Obito!"

No one was home. I huffed, slightly miffed that he wasn't home yet, but there was a note on the dining table. I dropped off my backpack and picked up the little note.

"Emergency mission? Not back till when?" I said in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me! How is it possible that I get ditched so often? What the hell?"

If I were a real kid, I'd probably cry about abandonment and freak out about living alone all by myself. However, since that's not the case, let's skip over that crying fit and move on. First thing's first, I need to deal with the gum in my hair. Plotting the utter embarrassment of the Uchiha heir can wait. I rather not have gum that was in someone else's mouth stuck to my hair.

Gods, I hate gum, it's disgusting and it's not even delicious. I know I'm not a big fan of sweets to begin with, but gum is just a culture for germs in someone's mouth until they spit it out.

"Let's see… where are his scissors…" I muttered to myself as I dug through his cabinets for a pair of scissors.

Turns out, Obito doesn't own a pair of scissors. He has a stash of kunais, shurikens and kitchen knives, but no scissors. Grumbling in annoyance and grabbed a kunai from his stash and went into the bathroom. I'll just work with what I got. How hard can it be to cut your own hair without a proper pair of scissors?

… Bad idea.

"Well… that could've ended better…" I muttered at my own reflection with kunai in hand. My hair was an uneven mess. The front was long and the back was too short and the cuts were jagged and uneven. "…Maybe I should get some feminine help…" I grumbled.

Who can I go to? Kushina's out on a mission, Rin was probably with Obito if they're on mission. I could probably go to Hana, since Tsume probably won't mind, but I have no clue where they lived… There was one other person I could go to…

"Ugh…" I groaned, banging my head against the mirror. "Maybe I should just go to school looking like this tomorrow." The only other person I could possibly go to was Mikoto in the Uchiha district and I really didn't want to see Itachi again, unless it was to prank the crap out of him.

Yes, I have a grudge with a four-year-old. I'm petty, deal with it.

I glared at my reflection. Screw what the hell the kids say; I'm going to be annoyed with this uneven mess on my head. I need symmetry or at least asymmetrical hair. This wild mess is unacceptable! Grumbling, I cleaned up the mess of hair I made on the bathroom floor before making my way to the Uchiha house.

My hair gained quite a few stares, but I didn't bother hiding the messy mop. Why bother? It's too hot to be wearing a hoodie. Konoha was in the dead of summer and it is _hot_. Maybe not as hot as a desert since there's an abundance of shade from all the trees, but still hot enough that no one wants to wear more than a tank top and shorts.

"Hello Mikoto-san! Anyone home?" I called out at the entryway.

"Kasa-chan?" I hear Mikoto's voice coming from the hallway before she appeared around the corner. Her footsteps were so quiet I barely heard her coming. I guess even retired, she still retained her skills as a shinobi. "What a surprise, Itachi didn't say you were—Oh my goodness! What happened to your hair?"

I gave a sheepish grin. "I got some gum in it. I tried to cut it myself, but Obito didn't have scissors at home. Can you help me fix it? Kushina-san is out on a mission and won't be back for a while."

Mikoto made her way over to me as she ran her hand through my plum-red hair. "What did you use to cut it then?"

"Kunai." I answered.

"Obito gave you a kunai?" snapped Mikoto in disbelief. "And Minato let you use it without supervision?"

"Actually, Minato-san is on a mission too. I was supposed to stay with Obito, but he got an emergency mission and left a note saying he'll take a couple of days. I found the kunai in his room." I answered.

"They left you alone!" roared Mikoto. "I am going to have a word with Obito when he gets back! Uchiha or not, that was irresponsible of him to just leave you! Kasa-chan, you're staying with us until they come back."

"Wait, what?" I protested. "I can take care of myself! I know how to cook and everything!"

"No, you're staying," refuted Mikoto. "After I fix your hair, we are going to go get your things and you're coming here."

"Uh… I think I'm just going to go to school like this tomorrow! See you Mikoto-san!" I shouted as I tried to dart off, but the woman was fast. She grabbed onto the back of my shirt and hauled me into the house.

"Come here Kasa-chan! You're not going anywhere looking like that!" said the Uchiha matron firmly.

I sulked as she lugged me through the house like a kicked puppy.

"…You came through the front door?" Itachi raised a brow when he spotted me in the hallway. "What happened to your hair?"

"Oh shut it!" I grumbled with a pout.

"Itachi, go prepare the guest room. Kasa-chan is staying with us for a while," said Mikoto as she adjusted her grip on me.

The little prodigy tilted his head in question at me, but said nothing as he went off as his mother requested.

I didn't get to turn Itachi into a duck as I promised. Mikoto had an eye like a hawk and made sure I kept my manners during the entirety of my stay. Apparently, she was more than familiar with Kushina's incurable prankster days and the fact that my first impression on her was less than stable, she made sure I didn't fall into any laughing fits either. Oh, did I mention Fugaku is a total hard-ass?

We barely just started shuriken lessons in school, but the man already had Itachi on advance shuriken techniques in conjunction with wire strings. I have a feeling that there might be some chakra techniques behind it as well.

"If you're going to watch, you might as well join," grunted the man during the third morning of my stay.

"Really?" I was surprised he offered at all.

Though, after several sessions, I'm quite sure he only offered just to see how much more awesome his own son is in comparison. I'm not complaining a free lesson is a free lesson. It's not like Kushina and Minato are going to be back anytime soon… It does make me wonder, where did they go off? And Obito too, he didn't say how long his mission was going to take.

How is the war going? No one really talks about it in the village and the sensei at the Academy keeps it hush-hush as if they're afraid of spooking possible new recruits… I guess that makes sense if the admission rates were down.

"Again!" snapped Fugaku when two of my shurikens missed the stump altogether. Hey, six out of eight isn't bad!

Of course, Itachi got eight for eight each and every time. By the end of the first week, I've managed to get all the shurikens on the target, while not on the mark; it was at least hitting something. How the heck are you supposed to aim these things? The accuracy hit-percentage is total crap on these things. They're more useful as a distraction unless you find someway to get a hundred percent accuracy. Seeing Itachi's shuriken hitting the targets dead center only made me a tiny bit jealous.

Remember I said Fugaku was a hard-ass? Yeah, aside from shuriken practices, he also had us going through taijutsu katas and basic chakra molding exercises. Itachi being the genius he is, excelled in everything he was taught, absorbing everything like a sponge. I on the other hand got a nasty tongue lashing from Fugaku every time I stepped out of place.

"Kasa! You're doing wrong! Start over!" snapped the grumpy man.

I fought a groan and whine as I restarted from the first stance. Obito, where are you? Come back already! I don't want to stay with the stuck up Uchiha Clan! They won't let me sleep in late and they won't let me wear tank tops even though it's so hot!

Oh yeah, I totally didn't tell you about the tank top thing! There's something about old clans or just traditional families in general that utterly freaks out when you show a little bit of skin. Mind you, I'm only four, there's nothing worth looking at and a tank top is hardly indecent. Even so, Mikoto insisted I wear a tee shirt or something that covers my shoulder whenever I'm around Fugaku.

That is beyond ridiculous! I can't wait for Kushina and Minato to come back and then I could go home and wear whatever the hell I want. They totally have no problem with me wearing tank tops. There shouldn't be a damn problem with me wearing tank tops!

"How's living with Itachi?" grinned Hana wryly. "You've been there for how long? Like two weeks?"

"Two and a half." I grumbled darkly. Where the hell were Obito, Kushina and Minato?

"Is it going to be permanent?" teased Hana. "The other kids are saying that you might just get—"

"Finish that sentence and I will end you." I growled. What is with the kids in this world? They are in serious need of TV and violent video games!

Hana sniggered as her ninkens napped next to us. They've gotten bigger since I first met them. Before they were tiny little darlings, now they're about the size of a typical medium dog. If I guess their breed right, maybe huskies, they could get fairly big. Though… I don't think they'll get as big as Akamaru after the time-skip, but man, that'd be cool to be able to ride them like a horse.

"Your grades are improving, you're not at the bottom of the rankings anymore," noted Hana. "Did you get some tips from Itachi?"

"No." I puffed my cheeks. I got tips from his dad instead.

Surprising to say, Fugaku's not a bad teacher. A hard-ass taskmaster, but he knows his stuff. It also helped that there were more practical lessons nowadays. So far, my favorite class was taijutsu, mainly because I get to beat the tar out of every single one of these snot-nosed brats. Hey, I girl's got to vent. Even so, I can't beat Itachi.

I'm getting the feeling that I won't be able to catch up to him at all, if ever.

"Grr…" growled Hana's ninkens as they jumped to their feet. The hair on the back of their neck flared up as they circled around us and stood guard protectively.

"Hai, Ma, Ru?" said Hana with a frown. The ninkens were known as the Three Haimaru Brothers, but Hana calls them each by a part of that name.

"What's wrong?" I asked and stared off towards the direction the dogs growled at.

BOOM!

We let out a yelp as the ground shook. Screams went through the grounds as a good number of students stumbled and fell in surprise.

"Kasa!" shouted Itachi as he and Shisui made their way towards us.

"What's going on?" I asked as I pushed myself off the ground.

"We need to get to the shelters," said Shisui as he grabbed my hand and helped me up.

"The shelters? Are we under attack?" I asked turning my attention back towards the direction the ninkens were looking at. I don't remember about any mention of a direct attack on Konoha during the Third Shinobi War. What's going…on?

"Shit." I hissed out when I saw what was at the distance.

"What is that?" whispered Hana as she stared at the huge creature in the distance.

"It's a demon," said Shisui with finality. "We have to move now! Grab whoever you can and drag them with you to the shelter. We need to clear out so the jounins and chunins could have a fighting chance. If they have to defend us while fighting, we're all going to die."

"Why… is this happening?" I stared at the tailed beast raging in the distance.

"Kasa! We need to go!" Hana grabbed my arm and dragged me along.

My eyes stayed glued to the flailing tails as the beast crashed into the village over and over again. The screams, the destruction I could hear it so clearly.

"Why is this happening?" I found myself repeating, trying to make sense of the whole situation. My face paled when I realized what was wrong. "I changed something." I stopped in my tracks.

"Kasa!" snapped Hana as she yanked at my arm, trying to get me to continue.

I changed something… and now Konoha's under attack by a tailed beast, the three-tailed turtle, Isobu.

"What… have I done?" I croaked.


	10. Chapter Nine: Dead or Alive?

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Nine: Dead or Alive?**

Screams coursed through the air as panic and chaos reigned. My mind shut down the instant I saw and recognized Isobu, the three-tailed beast. Everything happening to Konoha right now is my fault. Before my intervention, this attack on Konoha would never happen because he would never have gotten close enough to the village. Kakashi would've killed his jinchuriki long before it made it here.

What changed? What did I change? I saved Obito. Do you know what that means? Rin who was kidnapped and made a jinchuriki against her will, won't die. Obito won't let that happen, he swore to protect her. Konoha is under attack because I saved him… this was my fault. What happens if the parents of the Rookie Nine died because of this? What happens if the key players are gone?

I felt the tears weld up in my eyes. What should I do? What could I do? What about Kyubi's attack? How many more people are going to die there? Would the village be standing if that happens? Did I make a mistake? Is everything going to end here and now? My hands shook as I clasped them against my forehead, desperate to still them.

I'm scared.

"Tou-san, Obito… Kushina-san." I whimpered quietly, wishing they were here.

"Kasa," whispered Itachi, drawing me out of my thoughts again. "You're letting the silence get to you again."

"So? I don't feel like talking." I sniffled. We sat in the dimness of the shelters in the Hokage Monument as the sounds of fighting continued outside.

"I could keep the silence away for you if you want," offered the boy.

"How?" I rubbed away the unshed tears at my eyes.

"Focus on my voice," started Itachi as he turned to face me directly. "Think of this like our meditation training exercise."

"I don't think listening to you giving me training tips would help." I grumbled childishly. I don't feel like being strong right now. I want to cry.

"Just listen," said Itachi firmly. "Block out everything else. The echoes in here, the fighting outside. Make sure the only thing you can hear is me."

"…That kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? You don't really talk and it'll just be silent again." I joked, but the mirth didn't reach my voice or my eyes.

"Listen to me," repeated Itachi patiently. "Only my voice and nothing else. Can you do that?"

"Sure, why not?" I said as I took a deep breath and blocked out all the other distractions. Hear just his voice and only his voice, nothing else.

"Am I the only thing you hear?" asked Itachi.

"Yeah." I nodded, with my eyes still closed.

"Good, now listen closely Kasa. I'm only going to say this once," warned Itachi. "If you miss it I won't say it again."

"Okay?" I frowned. I felt him shift closer until I could feel his breath on my ear… Hey! Personal bubble space Itachi… What the hell are you doing?

"Listen closely," whispered the boy.

I resisted the urge to back away.

"To the extreme," said Itachi with the most deadpan voice possible.

What?

A snort escaped from my lips when I register what he said. I quickly slapped my hands to my mouth before I fell over laughing. Oh god, this guy! I tried my damnest not to fill the shelter with my laughter, but I'm quite sure I'm failing and getting many odd looks.

"Itachi, what did you do to her?" asked Shisui when he broke away from his classmates and made it to our side.

"I just said a couple of words, that's all," noted Itachi as he shifted back into his seat.

"…What did you say? I've never see her laugh so hard," said Hana in bafflement. Her ninkens stared at me oddly with the tilt of their heads.

Itachi remained quiet, he probably still doesn't get why I find that so hilarious.

"Oh goodness, I needed that." I gasped out after gathering my breath.

"You gave us a scare when you froze up at the academy," said Hana.

"Yeah, I just had… some bad thoughts, that's all." I scratched the back of my head.

"Are you feeling better though?" asked Shisui.

"…Not really, I'll feel better if that thing outside stopped attacking." I murmured, rubbing my bandaged arms.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not into the bandaged look, hell it's a pain in the ass to wake up in the morning to wrap my arms everyday, but Kushina insisted I hide the seals. I would get those arm thingies Sasuke used, but that tends to slide compared to bandages.

"Yeah, I wonder how they're doing out there?" murmured Shisui as he glanced towards the small glimpse of sunlight peeking into the shelters. "Wish we could do something to help."

I sighed dejectedly as I curled up my knees and rested my chin on top. How did things turn for the worse so quickly? I might have stopped Madara from taking Obito, but with the things going the way it is, he might still get Obito if Rin dies in this mess. With this attack, key players might not exist for when he comes back as Tobi. I've made such a mess of things.

To make things worse, Kushina and Minato, the village's best seal masters weren't even here! I need to fix this somehow! But how? I can't do anything! I'm not a seal master. Hell, I'm not even a genin! How the heck do I take down a demon that's the size of a skyscraper when even seasoned jounin have trouble with them?

Think Kasa; you know the situation better than anyone else here. There must be something you can do that no one else here can. I gnawed on my lower lip in thought. I have foreknowledge, great, but I have no power to back that up. Oh, what I'd give to get some power right now then I could…

I blinked, glancing down at my arms, Kaa-san's seals. I have a freaking cheat code here and I'm not even using it! A frown crossed my face, but I don't know if I could use it. The last time I activated the seal, I got sent to the hospital. The hokage and Kushina made me promise not to use it unless a seal master or an iryo-nin supervised me, but then again I did have training… With the chaos outside, I don't think I have much of a choice.

"Kasa," interrupted Itachi. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing." I said innocently.

"I know that look on your face," noted the boy.

"What look?" I feigned cluelessness.

"You have it every time you realized you decide on some prank you want to do with Obito," said the boy dryly. "It's very obvious."

"Really?" I asked before realizing I just ousted myself.

"What are you planning?" asked Itachi again.

I tried to think of ways around this, but the look of no nonsense on his face told me it'd be hopeless. "I want to help."

"Kasa, you're an academy student. You can't help," said Shisui firmly.

"But I can! I think..." I protested lamely.

"How? You can't even beat Itachi. How are you going to go up a demon?" asked Shisui. "This isn't a game Kasa."

"I'm not treating it like a game!" Okay, that's a lie; I'm totally going to cheat code the crap out of this thing. "I know I can do something! Or at least buy enough time for someone to do something!"

"How?" Hana asked.

"That's the issue, I need to find the answer first." I said, scratching at my bandages. I should probably remove them before I activate the seals.

"The marks on your arms," remarked Itachi. "They're seals aren't they?"

I shouldn't be surprised he figured it out, living nearly three weeks with him; he'd seen me wrap them in the morning. "Yeah, they're knowledge seals. Maybe there's something in there that we can use. If we can't we could at least tell one of the sensei."

"Are you sure?" frowned Itachi. "Have you even used them before?"

"Yeah!" I retorted with a huff. "I know how it works. Kushina-san and Minato-san had been training me!" Another lie, they've been training me in seals recognition and controlling my activator skills.

"Kasa…" He didn't look like he believed me.

"I'll be fine!" I waved it off. "Though… get sensei if something goes wrong."

Their eyes widened. "Something goes—"

I didn't give them a chance to finish as I charged up chakra in my hand and slapped it down over my bandages, no time to unravel them now. I need to do this before they get someone to stop me. The familiar rush of information hit me as I concentrated solely on how to deal with tailed beasts and how to contain them.

There were a number of seals that could be used for creating jinchuriki and a number to restrain the beast to buy time. All I couldn't use, because I can't make seals. I gritted my teeth as I delved deeper into the information. I need something I could use without needing to make seals! I need something that would keep Rin alive!

Rings.

"Rings?" I frowned. "What the hell does rings have to… oh…"

"Kasa! Let go of your arm right now!" Shisui's voice snapped through the haze of information as he and Itachi yanked my hand away from my arm.

"Kasa-chan! Are you all right?" asked Hana as she pressed a tissue to my nose to stem the stream of blood.

My eyes blinked rapidly as the images slowly faded. This wasn't as bad as last time. I could still move.

"Kasa! Kasa, can you hear us?" snapped Itachi. He sounded almost angry.

"I got it." I whispered.

"Kasa?" repeated Hana worriedly.

"I totally had it!" I whooped for joy as I jumped away from them and darted out towards the entrance.

"Kasa Mon! Where do you think you're go—"

"Sorry sensei! I got to go to the bathroom!" I shouted as I darted under him and zipped my way out.

I'm such an idiot! I had it all along! I knew there was something special about it! I just didn't know what it was! Oh man, this is going to be the best cheat code ever! Well… sort of. If I fail, I'll probably die a painful death. If I succeed, I'll probably live about a decade or two shorter than what I'm supposed to, but who cares? Either I lose a couple of years near the end of my life or I die by the paws of the tailed beasts. Like I said, if I'm going to die, it better damn well be by my own mistakes!

"Kasa! What the hell are you doing out here?" snapped Kakashi when I made my way to the scene.

"Where's Obito?" I asked.

"Kasa, go back to the shelter! It's not safe here!" ordered Kakashi.

"But I could help!" I retorted.

"This isn't a game Kasa! Go back!" The silver-haired jounin glared at me.

"I'm not playing! I can stop it!" I snapped back. Screw secrets, we're short on time. "That's Rin-san up there right? I can save her!"

Kakashi stopped. "…How did you…?"

"I just need to get close enough! I can stop it and save Rin-san. If you won't tell me where Obito is, then you have to get me close enough!" I said.

"There is no way I'm—"

"We don't have time for this! The longer we take, the more of the village it destroys! Obito said you're a genius and prodigy! Well use that genius brain of yours! If we don't stop it now, they're going to kill Rin-san to stop this!" I argued.

Conflict rushed through Kakashi's eyes in both his normal and sharingan eye before he eventually gave in. "How close do you need to go?"

"Get me to the closest tail first. Then get ready to go to the next after I'm done." I said as I yanked down my collar and pulled out the string of charms Tesuri gave me before he left. I yanked off the five rings dangling on the charms and slipped all five onto my index finger.

"You better know what you're doing," said Kakashi as he picked me up and darted towards the ginormous body of the three-tailed beast. It's going to be hell to get to all the necessary points with the distance between them, but we have to try I suppose.

It took Kakashi ten minutes to race through rooftops to the first tail of Isobu. The tailed flailed so violently it was hard to focus on it.

"Can you get onto that tail?" I asked as we drew closer. "I don't have enough chakra to set it off at this range."

"On it," said Kakashi as he body flickered his way to the tail and attached his feet to the tail. "Hurry up, I can't hold this position for long."

"Got it!" I said as I slid the ring off with my thumb and pressed it against the tail. With a pulse of chakra the ring glowed and sunk into the tail. A roar came from above as the beast stopped moving forward. His other tails still thrashing and struggling to make the one I disabled, move. "Next one!"

"Hold on," murmured Kakashi as he body flickered once more. It took three flickers before he managed to the next tail.

I was a little green by the time he landed on the tail, but kept down the urge to hurl as I slid off the next ring and repeated the process on the second tail. The ring glowed and sunk into it just like the last one. "Next—" I covered my mouth, swallowing down the bile that rose up.

"You okay?" asked Kakashi.

"Just keep going!" I said before he flickered again. This time it was a bit harder, Isobu was flailing and thrashing like a rampant elephant, nearly flipping onto its back. "Hurry up Kakashi! We got to get the other one before he flips backwards onto the village!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" snapped the silver-haired jounin as he flickered towards the last tail.

The instant he landed I slipped off the next ring and slapped it onto the tail with a pulse of chakra. The ring glowed and sunk in.

"WHAT IS THIS?" roared Isobu furiously.

"Three down! Let's get one of the arms before heading towards the head. That should keep it still enough for the last one." I said.

"I can't believe this is working," murmured Kakashi as he flickered once more. I wonder how many more of those could he dish out? He's practically running the length of the four corners of Konoha with the size of Isobu. Let's hope we can stop him completely before he gets any further into the village.

"Hurry up Kasa!" shouted Kakashi as he landed on the arm.

I slapped another ring into the arm with a pulse of chakra.

"NO!" roared Isobu as he thrashed wildly with his remaining arm. "I WILL NOT SUCCUMB TO YOU!"

"Can you keep going?" I asked when he started running up Isobu's arm instead of flickering. He must be exhausted.

"Just one more." He gritted his teeth.

"Kakashi!" roared Obito. "I'm not going to let you kill Rin!"

"Shit," hissed Kakashi. "Obito! You have to listen! We can—"

Too late, Obito caught him square in the jaw with a punch. Kakashi lost his grip on me.

"Obito!" I screamed as I began to plummet towards the ground.

"Kasa?" The former Uchiha snapped out of his anger.

"Damn it Obito! She was going to save Rin!" shouted Kakashi.

"I thought—"

"OBITO!" The rest of the conversation was lost as I screamed. Shit, I'm going to fall to my death! What the hell do I do? WHAT THE HELL DO I DO?

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" shouted a rough voice from a distance.

I strained to turn my head as the wind pressure as a large cloud of smoke faded and a giant toad stood in its place. A studded tongue shot out of its mouth and snatched me out of the air.

"Oh god, this is disgusting!" I can't help but scream.

"Jiraiya, you better teach this child some respect or I will eat her," warned the toad boss.

"Hear that little girl? That's not very nice, Gamabunta saved you," chided an amused voice as the tongue dropped me on top of Gamabunta's head. I stumbled before a hefty hand caught me by the shoulder. "Okay there, kid?"

I glanced up and my jaw dropped. Spiky white hair, red stripe markings, cocky grin. "Jiraiya…" I said in awe.

"Ha!" chortled the man. "Glad to know I'm still famous with the younger generation! Small talk aside. What were you doing up there little girl?"

I snapped out of my awe and glanced down to the last ring on my finger. "I need to get to the top of his head! He won't stop unless the last seal is on him! Please, can you get me there?" I begged.

"Seal?" Jiraiya raised a brow.

"My mother is an Uzumaki, I'm staying with Kushina-san and Minato-san. I can answer any questions you want, but we need to stop that first!"

The man took one glance at me, then the tailed beast. "I'll hold you on that," said Jiraiya before he turned his attention to Gamabunta. "Give us a boost old friend, and if you can, keep that arm of his busy, will you?"

Gamabunta snorted. "You better bring some high quality sake the next time you summon me!"

"Of course, of course. Have I ever walked out on a promise?" chuckled Jiraiya as he picked me up. "All right little lady, here we go!"

I really hate getting hauled around like a sack of potatoes. Gamabunta shot us towards the tailed beast and Jiraiya made quick work of latching onto the spikes on Isobu's head.

"Hurry up kid," said Jiraiya as he lowered me to the beast's face.

"HUMAN!" roared Isobu as I sent the last ring into his eye with a chakra pulse. "NO!" He screamed before his body completely stopped.

"Done?" asked Jiraiya.

I gave an exhausted sigh. "For now. I need to do one last thing, can you put me down, near his eye?"

"What exactly are you doing?" asked Jiraiya as he swung us over to Isobu's eye.

"Getting whoever's in there, out." I answered. "Whew… I hope I have enough for this…" I pressed my hands against the eye and took a deep breath before sending another pulse of chakra through.

Oh yeah, I should probably explain what the hell I've been doing all this time. Remember the string of charms Tesuri gave me way back when? Apparently, those charms were seals. Who knew right? I sure as hell didn't! I thought it was some stupid trinket.

Anyway, there are ten in total, I have no clue what the other five does, but the five rings I just used? Yeah, those are elemental seals, five in total. Sound familiar? It should, because Orochimaru used it once on Naruto. These five seals could do the same exact thing as the Five Elements Seal when used in conjunction with one another.

That's right, this baby is a power disruptor. As long as I can get all five on fairly vital areas, I can disrupt the shit out of his chakra core. No chakra, no control, no movement! Game over sucker! Now is the hard part. Since I set each of the seals separately rather than all at once. Each seal could do only so much on its own.

If I want to knock Isobu off its ass and have Rin back in control, I need to connect all five seals, which means I'm going to have to exert a lot of chakra to reach the far corners of this fat ass. Remember what I said about possibly losing my life earlier? Since I don't have the necessary amount of chakra needed to pull this stunt off, I'm doing a conversion. Trading years for energy.

The whole process will take a while to explain, so I'll spare you the majority of the details. Thank god the conversion method is intuitive for activators because there was no way in hell I could pull this off after seeing it once.

Rather than bore you, I'll give you the short version. Natural activators have the bonus of converting their life energy into chakra for immediate use. The trade off, depending how much you convert, that energy takes away years from your total life span.

Say, I'm supposed to live to a hundred, if I use the conversion method, like say to shoot enough chakra through a freaking beast, I would have spent about ten to twenty years of my life to do so in my current skill set and chakra reserve. So instead of a hundred, I'll live till I'm eighty… given I don't die before then.

Of course, if I screw up, it'll suck out everything I have and I'll just drop dead here, but haha what are the chances of…

* * *

Author's Note: I like to thank everyone for reviewing and hitting the 100-review mark. I thought I'd thank you with another quick chapter. Will she live or will she die? I know I'm horrible with ending almost every chapter in a cliffhanger, but thanks for putting up with me.

**Jutsu:**

**Kuchiyose no Jutsu****- **Summoning Technique


	11. Chapter Ten: Foresight

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Ten: Foresight**

Uh… I think I'm dead… but I'm not sure… I'm really bad at this dying business. I hope I don't get reborn into another brat again. Seriously, I don't think I can handle another set of parents and dealing with growing up a third time. Do you think the shinigami would give me a frequent decease card? Ooh, maybe I get a free ice cream cone for every ten deaths I go through.

Yeah, I should really find a way to cope with that joking thing. It's becoming a habit whenever something bad or traumatic happens I start throwing out _really_ and I mean_ really_ bad jokes.

I wonder how everyone is doing. Hopefully, I managed to knock out enough Isobu's chakra for Rin to regain her body and maybe Obito doesn't go completely nuts and join Madara. That is if she's still alive. Do I want to know how badly I screwed up? Kushina will be furious when she finds out about the stunt I pulled. At that thought, maybe it's a good thing I'm dead. She can't kill me if I'm already dead right?

Man, I should stop thinking about such depressing thoughts. This place is already pretty dark and quiet… I don't really need such a downer mood. Oh well, I said it before right? If I were going to screw up and get myself killed, it'd be my own mistake… Kind of wish that I survived it though… I didn't even get to see Naruto and the others.

"_Kasa_…"

Hmm? I peered through the darkness. Was someone calling my name?

"_Kasa-chan…!_"

It was! Someone was calling my name! I tried to look, but I couldn't move. Panic filled me as I struggled, why couldn't I move? Move! My breath hitched as I struggled, but then a low whisper hushed me. Slowly, warmth touched my head and gripped me by the hand, seeping into my very bones. I let out a sigh as I melted at the warmth.

So warm… it was like… healing chakra? Wait, what? I'm not dead?

"Kasa-chan's waking up!" exclaimed a familiar voice, but I couldn't make it out whose it was.

I furrowed my brow before breaking through the darkness. Blearily, I blinked away the fuzz as the scent of antiseptic hit my nose. Ugh… was I at the hospital again?

"Kasa! You're finally awake!" cried Kushina's choked up voice. It sounded like she cried.

I blinked some more before everything cleared. "…Hey, you're back." I said weakly. "Did I screw up?"

Kushina cried as she held onto me tightly. I tried to raise a hand to pat her on the back, but realized someone was holding onto my hand, pulsing small amounts of chakra into me. It was so warm… I craned my head slightly and saw it was Rin holding onto my hand.

Oh good, she's alive… that means Obito is still around…

"Kasa-chan, why would you do something so reckless? I thought we told you, you can't use those seals until you're better trained!" screamed Kushina. "And on top of that, you used a high level seal without supervision! What were you thinking? You don't even know how to cancel seals yet. If Jiraiya-sama wasn't there to cut you off, the seals would've killed you!"

Jiraiya? Oh right, he's a seal master too. Lucky for me because I seriously forgot I didn't learn how to do cancel seals yet… Whoops, I guess the down side of using Somuku's seals is that I think I could do what she could, but in reality I have no clue. Yeah, I better make of list of things I can and can't do before using those seals next time.

"Kushina-san, she helped save me and the village," said Rin quietly.

"And she nearly got herself killed doing so! We were supposed to be the ones protecting the village! We should've been able to handle a tailed beast, not her," snapped Kushina before she noticed the guilty look on the girl's face. "…Sorry Rin, that's not what I meant. It's not your fault."

Rin raised a hand to press against the side of her face as she fought back tears. "No, it's my fault. If I could've convinced Obito and Kakashi to kill me before we got back to the village, this would've never happened."

"Don't say that Rin," interrupted Minato. "It wasn't your fault."

"I was the one that got captured! I was the one they turned into a jinchuriki! If it wasn't me, Kakashi and Obito would have had no problem killing me and stopping this from happening!" argued the distraught girl.

"Rin, I know you love the village and you would do anything to keep it safe, but it's not your fault. You couldn't have controlled this," said Minato firmly.

"But the village…" whimpered Rin as she wiped her eyes against her sleeves.

I'm so sorry… This isn't her fault at all. It was mine. I was the one that changed things. She shouldn't be holding all this guilt and blaming herself. I need to fix this, but how? Her tears continued to pour, but her hand never released mine, still steadily pulsing chakra into my body… There's that I suppose.

"Rin-san…" I tugged at her hand. "You're a big fat liar."

"What?" She snapped her attention to me.

"Kasa!" scolded Kushina, but I ignored her.

"You promised you were going to teach me iryo-ninjutsu… If you died who's going to teach me?" I whined, but it didn't quite make it to my voice with how tired I was.

"Kasa-chan…" whispered Rin. "You almost died because of me and you still might."

"But I didn't. You're keeping me alive, right?" I asked raising our hands. "You have iryo-ninjutsu. Even if someone gets hurt, you can save them. Who's going to save Obito and Kakashi when they get hurt?"

"Kasa's right Rin, you need to stick around," joined Minato, seeing what I was trying to do. "Knowing those two, they're going to be completely lost without you. Can you imagine the fights they'll get into with each other?"

"But I…" Rin choked back more tears. "I'm a danger to the village. It could happen again. The tailed beast can come loose again and I'll put everyone in danger."

"Then learn to control it," said Kushina.

"I don't know—" She started, but the red-haired kunoichi planted a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll teach you," declared Kushina with a grin. "You're not the only jinchuriki here."

Rin's eyes widened. "Kushina-san, you're…"

"Yep! I've got the biggest and the baddest right here," boasted the woman as she patted her stomach. "If I can control Kyubi, you can control the measly Sanbi. Of course, Kasa-chan is going to help too."

What? I glanced up tiredly at them. How the hell am I supposed to help, woman? I nearly died! Hell, I might still be on my deathbed right now!

"Are you sure you want to include Kasa-chan on this?" asked Minato.

"Knowing her," started Kushina, giving me the stink eye. "She's going to keep pulling off these dangerous stunts regardless what we say."

I shrunk into my pillow. She's going to kill me… I should've stayed dead…

Kushina sighed before a sheepish grin reached her face. "Even though she doesn't share my name, Kasa's an Uzumaki through and through. She's not going to back down if she thinks there's something she can do. Why try to keep her from danger when she's going to keep finding it?"

She's… not going to kill me?

"I guess not," sighed Minato with a chuckle and a headshake. "I think we should pass on the message that Kasa-chan's awake now. Everyone's been worried sick."

"She'll need plenty of rest too," added Rin, clasping her other hand over mine. "You can go on, I'm still in the middle of a chakra transfusion. I'll be here for a while."

Minato nodded before he turned to Kushina. "Come on, we should let Kasa-chan rest," said the man.

Kushina pulled me into another hug before pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Feel better okay? We'll come visit you real soon."

"Bye…" I whispered with a wave before they both left. Rin and I sat in silence for a brief moment before I decided the silence was unbearable. Even in exhaustion, I can't stand the quiet. "Rin-san, how's Obito? He looked really angry at Kakashi earlier."

The girl jumped at my question, but settled down after hearing my question. "He was here until a couple of hours ago. Kakashi dragged him off to eat something and get some rest."

"Hours?" I frowned. "How long was I here?"

"Days," murmured the girl quietly.

"Days!" My eyes widened. Just how many days?

"We all thought you were going to die. Your heart stopped several times," answered Rin.

My heart stopped how many times? Holy shit, I'm _really_ bad at dying! Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Actually, she should be dead," said a deep voice.

I glanced towards the speaker, surprised that they came in without Rin noticing.

"Jiraiya-sama!" greeted Rin.

The man gave a slight wave before turning his attention to me. "Hey little girl, how you feeling?"

I rolled my eyes as if he really needed to ask. He chuckled at my response and took a seat at the foot of my bed.

"So, have you looked in the mirror recently?" asked the man.

I frowned. The mirror? What, did I disfigure my face or something?

"She just woke up, Jiraiya-sama. We haven't gotten a chance to tell her yet," said Rin.

"Tell me what?" I asked looking between her and Jiraiya.

"Well, let me enlighten you then," grinned Jiraiya. "You little girl, should be dead."

Oh, geez thanks, that's nice to hear. I wanted to spat out, but I held my tongue. There's something odd about this whole situation.

"But you're not, because I'm awesome," boasted the man.

"Huh?" I got nothing.

"Take a look for yourself," said Jiraiya as he pulled out a mirror and flipped it open.

I weakly grabbed the mirror in his hand and lifted to my face. I don't see anything different. Same face, same nose, same green eyes, same plum-red hair and same purple dia—wait a sec, there's a purple diamond tattooed to my head!

"What is that?" I frowned, adjusting the mirror for a better look.

"A Yin seal," answered Jiraiya. "Took me ages to figure it out how Tsunade made it, but when you were dying everything became so clear. I've got to thank you for that kid!"

"Uh… Your welcome?" What else could I say? And what the hell is with people tattooing seals on my body? The hell man? At this rate I'm going to have more seals than skin!

"So kid, do you know what exactly does that seal do?" grinned Jiraiya.

"No?" It sounds vaguely familiar; doesn't Tsunade use that to heal or something? I don't remember. It's not like she takes the center stage for fights often.

"It stores energy that you could use at a later time. It's an ingenious seal if you ask me. Keeping it as a backup incase you ever run low on chakra," continued Jiraiya. "Which, you do need considering you just took off twenty years in your life."

"…But…" I frowned. "Don't you need to store chakra before you can use it? I thought I ran out…"

"You did," said Jiraiya with a serious look. "Like I said, by all accounts you should be dead."

"Then why aren't I?" I asked.

"My stupid student and his girlfriend had been teaching you about seals right?" asked Jiraiya. "You can recognize most of them on sight and by feel?"

I nodded.

"Good, that's not the only seal on you," said Jiraiya.

"I know that." I answered and raised my free arm to show him.

"Not that one," said Jiraiya before he placed a hand on my stomach and sent a pulse of chakra into my stomach and I felt the familiar squiggly lines moving against the surface of my skin.

Oh, hellz no! With great emphasis on the z. Another fucking seal? What the hell? What is this one for? I know I'm not a freaking jinchuriki because we just had this conversation. Rin is Sanbi's jinchuriki and Kushina made it quite clear that she's still the Kyubi's jinchuriki. So what the hell? What the hell did they put on me?

"Can you feel that?" asked Jiraiya.

"…Yeah, but what is it?" I asked.

"This is the Four-Symbol Seal," explained Jiraiya. "It works in conjunction with the Yin Seal on your forehead."

Yeah, that tells me a lot. "What does that mean?"

"It means, the reason you're alive is because we sealed half of Sanbi's chakra into you. The yin half to be exact," answered Jiraiya. "So like I said, you should be dead, but you're not. Aren't you lucky?"

"Okay?" How is that lucky? And why is he telling me all this? Shouldn't this be considered classified or something?

"Kushina said she will train her along with you right?" asked Jiraiya to Rin. The girl nodded. "Good, now listen up kid. Here's the deal, under no circumstance you are you tell anyone about your new seals or talk about what happened that day with Sanbi. So that means no bragging to your friends what you did."

"Uh…okay?" So they're telling me to get me to shut up? How does that make any sense?

"People know Rin here carries Sanbi, but they know nothing about you carrying the other half of its power. For your safety, do not share this information with anyone and I mean anyone. Not your friends or your sensei," cautioned Jiraiya.

"Then why tell me? If you didn't tell me, I wouldn't have known." I said getting the question everyone wants to know out of the way. Playing dumb here is not going to help me.

"In any other situation, you would never be informed about this, but since Kushina and Minato started training you in the sealing arts," grimaced the man. "You would've eventually figured out the new souvenirs you picked up from this mess."

"Right…" I murmured. I guess that makes sense. "I could keep a secret. I'm good with secrets!"

Jiraiya chuckled and ruffled my hair. "Good, now that's over. I have some questions for you."

I scrunched up my face. Really? You drop a bomb like this on me and you're not going to give me a moment to rest?

"Don't give me that look, you said I can ask you anything if I helped," countered the man.

"Fine." I huffed. It's not like I have much of a choice.

"How did you know Rin was the one inside of Sanbi?" asked Jiraiya. "I spoke with Kakashi, he said you specifically noted that it was Rin in there to get him to help. Now, how did you know?"

I tensed up. Shit, how am I supposed to explain that?

"I'm waiting little girl," drawled the man.

"I…" What should I say? "I don't know…"

"You don't know? Or you don't want to tell me?" said Jiraiya calmly.

"…I don't know how to tell you?" I squeaked.

"Why don't you try then?" said the Sannin with a raised brow.

"I…" Come on think Kasa, don't blow your cover! They're totally going to ship you to T&I if you screw up now! "I see things… and hear things…?"

"Hmm?" hummed Jiraiya.

"They're not very clear all the time though…" I murmured trying to force myself back into the silence. If I could get that lost in thought look, I could pull this off. "Sometimes, when I see people I see an older version of them and things they might or might not happen."

"And? Did you see Rin when you saw the Sanbi?" asked Jiraiya.

"…No…" I murmured, mentally sweating a waterfall as I weaved lies with partial truth. "I saw something else."

"What do you mean?" frowned Jiraiya. "What did you see?"

"I saw Kakashi-san. There was a lot of light on his hand and it was chirping, like birds." I answered. "Rin-san jumped in front of it and it went through her chest… I think… she was supposed to…" I trailed off when Rin's breath hitched.

"Rin?" Jiraiya turned to the girl.

"I tried… I tried jumping in front of Kakashi's chidori," croaked the girl as she stared at me. "Obito dragged me out of the way, but how… How did you…?"

Jiraiya frowned and turned back to me. "Do you see or hear these things often?" asked Jiraiya.

"Sometimes?" I supplied awkwardly. "I can't really control it. It just happens, not around everyone, just some people."

"Like when you saw me?" asked the man.

I couldn't stop my body from reacting and my mind running through everything I knew about the man. Every good and bad thing the man's done. Every victory and lost he gained and suffered. I couldn't stop remembering everything.

"What did you see when you saw me?" asked the man.

"I saw…" My mind stopped at his final smile as he sunk into the watery depths of his grave. I found a lump at my throat as I choked out my answer. "…A great teacher."

Jiraiya grew quiet, no doubt coming to his own conclusions by my reaction. I'm really bad in the art of deception. Even now as I'm lying to them, I'm telling more truth than anything else. Considering the occupation I'm interested in going into, it's really bad that I wear my heart on my sleeve the way I do.

"I see… Anything else that I should know about?" asked Jiraiya, the mood in the room grew somber. I don't like seeing him so serious… I like him as the big goofy pervert that he is.

"Yeah, you peek at the woman's bath a lot to write naughty books and become super rich." I sniggered. "You're a super pervert!"

The room grew silent as Rin stared at me in horror.

"Kasa-chan!" chided the girl. "That's rude! Say sorry to Jiraiya-sama!"

"What? He is a pervert! He said so himself. He's not just any pervert. He's a super pervert! A super duper one!" I retorted as Rin became more flabbergasted.

"Kasa-chan!" hissed Rin before Jiraiya bellowed out in a hearty laugh.

"A super pervert eh?" grinned the man.

"Yep!" I chirped, liking the smile on his face more than the frown.

"How rich are we talking about?" asked Jiraiya with a sly grin.

"Jiraiya-sama!" snapped Rin.

"Are you going to buy me presents if I tell you?" I asked childishly. Hey, I might as well get something out of this.

"I could always find out on my own," grinned the man as he waved off Rin's scolding.

"Cheapskate." I pouted.

He gave another hearty laugh as he ruffled my head. "I'll think about it, but can you do one more thing for me?"

"What?" I tilted my head curiously.

"Can you see if you see anything with Rin now?" asked Jiraiya.

I glanced over to Rin for show before turning back and shaking my head. "The image with Kakashi-san is the only one I could see. There's nothing pass that one…"

"I see," murmured Jiraiya with a thoughtful hand rubbing his chin. "Interesting."

"What's the matter Jiraiya-sama?" asked Rin.

"Minato," started the man slowly and stared directly at my eyes. I braced myself for whatever he's going to ask next. "Did you happen to see anything when it came to Minato?"

Shit, I knew this was coming.

"What did you see?" asked Jiraiya.

"Minato-san…" Should I? I could possibly save Minato if I did this, but… without the Kyubi, would Naruto still be the Child of Prophecy? Things already ended pretty badly with the attack on Konoha by Isobu. Should I risk handicapping the one person that could save everything?

"What happens to Minato?" asked Jiraiya.

Sorry…

"He becomes a hero… He saves everyone." I said with a fake grin. "Minato-san is so cool!"

Jiraiya let out a breath before chuckling. "So it's him huh?"

"Jiraiya-sama?" question Rin in confusion. "What are you talking about? How does Kasa-chan know… these things?"

The man ruffled my head again. "It looks like we have a little oracle on our hands."

"What?" Rin's eyes widened. "Are you saying she can predict the future?"

"Not really," answered Jiraiya. "What she sees isn't set in stone, you are the proof of it. She saw you dead, by Kakashi's hand, but here you are. However, we could take it as a warning."

Shit… I'm going to T&I aren't I?

"The more you see, the more things change, right?" asked Jiraiya. I nodded hesitantly, not exactly sure how to respond. "Then keep this a secret, the both of you. Let no one know about her foresight. If they know what's to come, they might change matters for the worse."

"But what if there's something bad that happens to Konoha? To the people we care about?" argued Rin. "She has to keep silent and not do anything even then?"

"Did she do nothing when Sanbi attacked?" asked Jiraiya.

Rin grew silent.

"Considering she didn't see Sanbi's arrival or your death until after he arrived, she has little to no control to when or what she sees," reasoned Jiraiya. "And the fact that she has to see someone first in order to see such things…"

Dear lord, did I do it?

"We have no idea what she knows at any given time. So whether or not she takes action, is up to her isn't it?" grinned Jiraiya as he stared down at me, his hand still on my head. "But, I trust you'll know what to do when the time comes. You're going to grow up to be a great kunoichi kid."

Holy shit… If I could, I would totally drop my jaw at this point. I made it! I got passed another threat of visiting T&I! THANK YOU UZUMAKI LUCK! I don't care if I nearly died because of you so many times! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I found the brightest and biggest grin on my face before I tackled him with a hug, pulling Rin along with me as I hugged the man.

"Thank you!" I said. "I'll do my best!"

"Well, now. I best go on my way. I have things to do and books to write," said the man.

Oh, yeah! I almost forgot.

"Jiraiya-san, did you write your first book yet?" I asked.

"It's getting published soon, why?" The man tilted his head in question.

"Can I get a signed copy of it?" I asked brightly. "I want the very first copy!"

A soft smile touched the man's face before he bellowed out laughing. "I'll sign it if you buy a copy."

I puffed up my cheeks. "Cheapskate!"

He patted my head before detaching himself from my hug. "All right, I got to go. I'll see you around kid."

"Bye Jiraiya-san! I think you're the coolest ninja ever!" I shouted after him.

He chuckled as he waved his goodbye and body flickered out from the window.

"Kasa-chan," started Rin when the room grew quiet again. "You said there was nothing after the image of me dying by Kakashi's hand… does that mean, I wasn't supposed to survive?"

I glanced over to the guilt-filled face of Rin and resisted the urge to sigh. I don't know what to say here. When I saved Obito, I hadn't thought about saving her at all. Heck, I wasn't even sure when in the timeline was she supposed to be kidnapped. It's not like I could've done anything to stop it. The fact that she's alive now would probably change a lot of things. No clue what things, but let's hope it's for the best.

"Rin-san, I think it probably means that you're not bounded anymore." I suggested. She glanced at me curiously. "It's not a bad thing I think. It means you can choose to do whatever you want and there's nothing there to say that you can't. Maybe you'll be the next hokage or something! Wouldn't that be cool? The first female hokage!"

Rin giggled. "Don't be silly Kasa, as if there will ever be a female hokage."

Oh man, wait till you see Tsunade, girl. She will be amazing.

"You never know, it might happen." I grinned.

"Oh yeah, what are you going to tell your friends when you get out of the hospital?" asked Rin. "They've been coming to visit almost everyday. Especially those two Uchiha boys." She grinned slyly. "Is there something you want to share with me Kasa-chan?"

Oh dear lord no, not her too!

"Boys are icky!" I said childishly trying to find a way to divert this. "And Itachi and Shisui are dumbasses always poking at my forehead!"

Rin's laugh sounded like bells. "You'll think differently when you get older."

"No," I grumbled stubbornly before fighting back a yawn.

"Why don't you rest a little? I'm almost done with the transfusion. I'll wake you up if Obito or your friends come by," suggested Rin.

"Okay…" I mumbled drowsily as she tucked me back into bed. "Good night Rin-san…"

Come to think of it, what am I going to tell them? Sigh…

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter did not turn out as I expected at all. I know a lot of you wanted her to be a jinchuriki, but I hadn't planned that in the drafting stage. Actually, I haven't planned splitting the yin energy into her either. This story has taken a life of its own and even I don't know where it's going to end up! I'm just as excited as the rest of you as this story unfolds. You guys are awesome, I'm a tad bit surprised and intimidated on how many hits I get the instant I post. Thanks for reading as always!


	12. Chapter Eleven: Reunion

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Eleven: Reunion**

"You are never going to do that to us again!" snapped Hana furiously, tears filling her eyes as she yelled at me. This was probably the first time I found her as scary as her mother. "Itachi and Shisui tried to run after you, but they got caught by sensei and tied up before they could. Do you know how scary it was to find out you were in the hospital? You almost died!"

"But I didn't." I said apologetically. "See? I'm perfectly fine."

"Your heart stopped four times!" shouted Shisui, putting his two cents in when Hana backed away to wipe away her tears.

"Only four?" I said in surprise. "I thought it was more than—" I broke off with a sheepishly laugh when they glared at me. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" At least not for a long while, I hope.

"You better not!" sniffled Hana.

"What happened anyway?" asked Shisui. "Did you ended up helping?"

"…Not really… I kinda got knocked out by a falling sign ha…ha…" I lied with a weak laugh. Rin and Kushina made sure I had a good cover story before they let the kids visit.

"A sign?" said Shisui in disbelief.

"Yeah, they said it was pretty heavy and was crushing my chest. The reason why my heart stopped so many times was because it was almost collapsed when they got me to the hospital. Amazing what iryo-ninjutsu can do huh? Now I'm double hyped in aiming to be one."

"…Only you can take nearly dying this well," grumbled Hana.

"Itachi, you're not going to say anything?" asked Shisui when the young Uchiha said nothing.

"You might as well join in." I added. "They've already reamed me good for the last ten minutes."

Itachi said nothing; his arms remained crossed as he sat in his seat.

"Oh come on! The silent treatment?" I whined. "It's bad enough you don't talk normally already! If you keep being quiet, you'll end up mute."

Itachi sighed through his nose as he stood up, if I didn't know better I might think he's a little ticked. Did I get under his skin? His eyes glued to me as he made his way to my bedside with his hands at his side.

"All right, bring it on." I said with an exasperated sigh, but he didn't say anything. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

He continued to stare at me with those dark eyes of his. I might be intimidated if he was older, but as a four-year-old, he just looked adorable.

"If you're not going to say—" I got cut off as I felt a rapid jab at my forehead over and over again. On the same exact spot with the same two fingers. "OW! What the hell was that for?" I swatted his hand away and rubbed my head. What the hell was he, a woodpecker?

Shisui snickered as he planted a hand on the younger boy's head. "Aw, isn't Itachi-chan cute? He's upset!"

"Grr…" I growled rubbing my head. "The hell?"

"Next time you do something stupid, I'm coming along with you," said Itachi.

"Huh?" I glanced at him, hand still covering my forehead. "Why?"

"Because the new mark on your forehead makes it really easy to poke," answered Itachi.

I grabbed a pillow and chucked it at his face. He easily caught it and tossed it back into my face. "One of these days Itachi! I swear I will turn you into a duck!" I roared.

"Still waiting on that," retorted Itachi.

"That's it!" I jumped at him, but Shisui easily caught me and held me back. "Let me at him! I'm going to beat that stoic face in!"

"Kasa! Calm down! You're still recovering!" said Shisui as he shoved me back into bed. "You can try your futile attempts at maiming Itachi when you get better."

"They're not futile!" I fumed with a pout.

"Sure, they're not," said Shisui as he humored me. "So how long before you can leave the hospital?"

"Uh…" I paused to think. "I think maybe another couple of days? Yeah, I think they want to double check to make sure my lungs don't suddenly collapse since my heart is fine now."

Lies, more like they want to make sure the yin energy doesn't fry my body before letting me go. Man, I want to leave already. Hospital food sucks!

"Can't wait to see you back at the academy," grinned Hana. "It's going to be funny watching you catch up to the kunoichi classes. We just started painting and calligraphy."

"Why did you have to remind me Hana?" I whined. "This is supposed to be my vacation! I'm not supposed to think about classes!"

"Too bad," droned Itachi as he dropped my backpack on the bed. "I brought you your homework and the notes from class."

"… I hate you… you know that?" I grumbled and glared at the backpack.

"Dully noted," said Itachi as he flicked my head one last time before turning to leave.

"Would you stop doing that?" I snapped and chucked another pillow at him. The door closed before the pillow made it through.

"You know… I've never seen Itachi that upset before," commented Shisui.

I turned to him surprise. "That was upset? How the heck can you tell? He looks like that everyday!" Shisui held out two fingers and I quickly slapped my hands over my forehead. "Don't even think about it!"

The older Uchiha chuckled. "I'm not going to poke you, I'm just making a point. Itachi doesn't talk or show much, but the little he does show, is usually though physical actions." He tapped his forehead lightly. "I did this to him every day for about a week before you showed up. At first just to tease him and see if I could annoy him to do something, but of course it's Itachi and he never rise to the bait."

"And?" I grumbled.

"Well, Itachi knows me and I'm not doing it to be mean. It just sort of became an affectionate tap I used to greet him. I'm surprised he used it on you at all. He must like you," grinned Shisui.

Hana squealed. "How cute! He must like you a lot if he tapped you that much."

Oh, good god! I'm quite sure she didn't mean what she said, but ew! I am _not_ tapping that! Argh! Where's the brain bleach? I need to bleach my brain! I need a therapist! This world will be the end of my sanity!

"Hey you don't have to look like that," said Shisui with a mocking gush. "Itachi-chan would be so sad that you don't like him!"

"After I get Itachi, I'm getting you next Shisui! I will duckify all Uchiha!" I growled.

"…Duckify isn't a word," said Shisui.

"I'm making it a word!" I snapped back.

"Kasa, you're so silly," giggled Hana before she glanced out the window. "I should probably get going too. I need to get home before it turns dark."

"I'll walk you home," offered Shisui.

"Ooh! Is there something you two want to tell me?" I grinned shooting their joke back at them.

"Nope, I'm perfectly fine. What about you Shisui?" replied Hana cheerily.

"Haaaanaaaa!" I whined. "You were supposed to get embarrassed! Or freak out in disgust or something. No offense Shisui."

"All offense taken," grinned the boy before he added teasingly. "Besides I think I like you more."

I spluttered indignantly! I'm old enough to be your mother, boy! Well, a young mother, but that's not the point! Gods, these kids will end me!

"You're too easy Kasa," laughed Hana. "Okay, I have to go. See you tomorrow maybe!"

"Bye…" I grumbled as Shisui left with Hana laughing.

I really should get over this thing about people teasing me about crushes and whatnots, but it's a bit alarming whenever anyone does. Seriously, I'm a fangirl at heart and the idea of pairing off with anyone freaks me out like no tomorrow. These characters are awesome and godly! I'm just a weirdo that somehow ended up in their world.

Don't get me wrong I don't have self-esteem issues. With how hot Kushina and Somuku looked, I'm not worried about my looks department. Not an issue there, I'll fill out once the awkward teen years come. If I don't kill myself first that is. Seriously, every since leaving Ame, I almost died like four or five times already! Not counting the times my heart stopped this past week.

Anyway, relationship… Yeah, not seeing it happening at least not in the foreseeable future. I might humor the thought if I can't find someone that's closer to me in mental age… but then I'm immature so that kind of defeats the point of saying mental age. Ah screw it. I'm not going to bother thinking it at all. Knowing my luck, I'll die before that happens! Yep, that's the plan; I'll die before I have to worry about dealing with those relationships!

"…Why do you always make such weird faces when you're thinking?" asked Obito.

I glanced up in surprise. "Obito! I didn't hear you come in."

"That's because you were lost in thought. I brought bentos," said Obito as he raised the plastic bag. "Hospital food sucks, so I thought you'd like a change of taste."

"Yeah! You're the best!" I cheered as he placed the bag on the sliding table and went to pull up a chair.

"So what were you thinking about that had you make such a face?" asked Obito as he passed me a box of inari sushi and grilled salmon.

"Squee! Inari sushi!" Yes, I squeed. "Oh, nothing, just something silly. It's never going to happen. Itadakimasu!"

"Silly? What kind?" asked Obito in good humor as he cracked open his own bento.

"It's boring. Ooh! Did you go on a mission today? Was Rin-san and Kakashi-san with you?" I asked, quickly changing the subject. I really don't need him to put in his two cents for my sanity's sake.

"Oh, the mission today was awesome. Let me tell you…"

My remaining days at the hospital became a routine visit from the kids, Team Minato when they weren't on missions and Kushina to check on how my seals were doing. When I was let out, the first thing I did was run down the streets of Konoha screaming much to the displeasure of many.

"FREEDOM AT LAST! NEVER AGAIN WILL I BE CONFINED!" I cackled the whole way back to the apartment. The amount of odd stares I've got cannot beat the euphoria of breathing fresh air and feeling the warm sun.

"Kasa-chan," said Kakashi in a deadpan as he snatched me half way back. He was in charge of escorting me home since everyone else was busy. Though, I'm quite sure they're planning a surprise party back at the apartment. How do I know? Obito's horrible at keeping secrets. "You're disrupting the peace."

"But it's so nice out, Kakashi-san!" I giggled with glee. "Do you want to go to the park with me? It can be a date! Then we can go to the movies and—" He dropped me faster than hot coal and I was off cackling again.

"Sucker!" I cackled. Yes, I know, I'm completely insane right now. You'd be too if they locked you in a room for a whole week.

"Kasa-chan! Stop running! You're going to crash into someone!"

"I'm not going to—Oomph!" I crashed and toppled over a small boy.

"Ow…" said a soft voice.

"Kasa! Told you not to run!" snapped Kakashi as he hauled me off the boy. "Are you okay?"

"Oww..." I complained before taking a good look at the person I knocked over and saw his glasses some distance away after I crashed into him. Ack! I ran over someone with glasses! "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" I shouted as I jumped out of Kakashi's grip and helped him up before running off to retrieve his glasses. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah…" said the boy quietly as he clapped himself clean. "My glasses." He squinted, trying to look for them.

"Here!" I handed it to him. "They don't look broken, it should be fine right? If not I'll ask Kushina-san if she could buy you a new one. I'm so sorry!"

I had bad experience with glasses. In my previous life, I was practically blind if I didn't have them and contacts were beyond horrible since they dried up your eyes like a freaking desert. Yeah, let me tell you losing your glasses when you're nearly blind is horrible! Especially if you're driving! How I managed to lose my glasses while driving, I will never tell you. That moment was traumatic enough as it is.

"No, it's okay. They're not broken," said the boy as he slipped them back on. Something about him looked familiar. "Is something wrong?"

"Do I know you?" I asked. I can't put my finger on it, but he looks awfully familiar.

The boy looked puzzled. "I-I don't know."

"You look familiar though… What's your name? I'm Kasa!" I introduced myself.

"I'm…"

"Kabuto!" shouted a woman dressed in a shrine maiden's uniform. "There you are! I was looking all over for you, how did you wander this far into the village?"

Kabuto? As in Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's psychopathic minion? I found myself staring at him with wide eyes. Shit… he's so… so… adorable! Who knew evil could look so cute? Ah damn it, don't forget he's the most dangerous person in the world Kasa, just saying.

"I got lost," murmured the boy as the woman sighed and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"You're still recovering, you can't go wandering off like that," chided the woman. "Why are you so dirty?"

He turned his gaze to me and I gave a sheepish laugh.

"Sorry, that would be her fault. She was running around without looking," said Kakashi as he placed a hand over my head and forced me to bow.

"Hey!" I complained and flailed under his grip and fought to get free. "I can say sorry myself!"

"It's fine," murmured the almost timid looking Kabuto. "I wasn't hurt and she said sorry already."

"Very well," sighed the woman again. "Be careful next time young lady. Come on Kabuto."

Kabuto and I shared one last look before he followed the woman away. Shit, I didn't know he was that close to Itachi in age and since he'll eventually end up in ROOT, there was no chance of me seeing him in the Academy. Oh man, it's just one thing after another isn't it? My awesome mood is totally ruined now.

"Are you going to stay here all day or are we going back?" drawled Kakashi.

I blew a childish raspberry and took off again. This time, taking more caution where I ran off. Running into one major villain is bad enough already. Let's avoid the rest shall we?

"I'm home!" I shouted as I crashed into the apartment and immediately, the lights flickered on and confetti flew everywhere.

"Surprise!" shouted Obito and Rin along with Minato and Kushina.

"Wow a party!" I shouted happily.

Yeah, this is way better than running into villains.

* * *

In the months that followed, I avoided the area that I knew was the orphanage where Kabuto stayed. I know, I know. I should probably find some way to get rid of him before he becomes a major threat… but I can't. I have a thing against hurting and killing kids… even if they grow up to be world-dominating destroyers.

Sure, I've joked about killing the hellions that annoyed me, in their sleep, but I was never going to do it. It's just a thing I say in the heat of the moment. How do I explain this? Ugh, I don't know… Kids just have a place in the no-kill zone part of my brain. I just can't do it.

You can argue that these brats act nothing like kids, but I can tell you otherwise. Even if they were raised to be cold-blooded killers, inside they're still little babies calling out for their mommies after a bad nightmare. How do I know? Because I still cry out for Somuku every now and then when I get a bad nightmare.

Never mind, forget I said anything about that. It's not like I have the power to do anything to him now anyway. I'm still a brat myself with little to no skill whatsoever.

"Again Kasa," snapped Fugaku.

"Okay." I said, almost whining as he made me go through another round of katas. Good lord, this man is such a hard-ass.

Why am I still having training sessions with Fugaku when I'm no longer living at the Uchiha house, you ask? Why not? It's not like the man said, "Get the fuck out," when I showed up. I could use all the training I get with my luck. The academy's basic taijutsu was fine I suppose, but I need a little more if I'm going keep my ass alive on the field.

Among the main clans in Konoha, the best in taijutsu were probably the Inuzuka, Hyuga and Uchiha. I didn't know any Hyuga, so asking them to teach me would be pointless. That and I don't have the byakugan, so I can't really use their fighting style. I could ask Hana and Tsume if I can learn from them, but their style requires a ninken and at this point in time, I can barely take care of myself much less a dog. Since Fugaku didn't kick me out when I came back for training, I don't see why I shouldn't keep coming back.

Though… there was a draw back…

"Kasa-chan, that's not very lady like! Sit up!" scolded the Uchiha matron when I found myself sprawling on the ground after getting my ass kicked by Itachi.

"Yes ma'am." I groaned, pulling myself into a sitting position. The amused twitch at Itachi's lips made me grumble as he turned away and resumed his training.

If it wasn't training with Fugaku, it was training with Kushina and Rin.

"Get up Kasa!" snapped Kushina.

I was face flat on the ground whimpering. This training wasn't much better either.

"If you want to get better, you have to keep practicing," said the woman. "Now mold your chakra into shape."

"Okay…" I groaned, pushing myself off the ground and clapped my hands together in concentration.

Oddly, I found clapping my hands into a prayer works better than most other hand seals… or it could be that I'm really bad at memorizing seals… What'd I give to be the Full Metal Alchemist right now rather than a ninja. Then I could just clap and bam! Instant attack! Or hell, just give me a Final Fantasy menu list for me to input my commands. Ninja lessons suck balls. I can't wait for when I can just do this without thinking about it.

THWACK!

"Kasa, pay attention!" said Kushina as she smacked me upside the head with her chakra chain.

"Ow…" I whined, rubbing the back of my head.

Remember how I said Fugaku is a hard-ass? Yeah, he has nothing on Kushina. She's one scary BAMF. For the less incline with abbreviations, she's one badass motherfucker. And you do _not_ want to mess around with her lessons. Sigh, I really miss Somuku's lessons. At least she doesn't try to kill you when you mess up.

"Come on Kasa, I'm waiting," said Kushina.

"Meep." I squeaked out and quickly molded my chakra into shape. I can't get it to look like her chains. Mine look more like threads than anything else, but I guess it's better than nothing.

"Good Rin, you're doing great!" cheered Kushina.

I glanced over to Rin and spotted her neatly made chains wrapping around her arms like snakes. It's expected that she would do much better than I would. After all, she's a trained iryo-nin. They need precision and control in order to perform their medical jutsu. Am I jealous? Yeah, a bit, but she had a head start.

I sighed and stared at the chakra threads on my hands. Maybe I'm not fit for this sort of thing… Hmm… Out of boredom, I started messing around with the threads and started weaving them piece-by-piece until it wrapped and tightened against itself. I grinned as it slowly took shape, this was kind of fun.

"Kasa… what are you doing?" asked Kushina when she came to check on me again.

"Look! I made a cat's cradle!" I lifted my hands for her to see. "Wanna play?"

Kushina gave another sigh before smacking me upside the head again.

Before I knew it, time flew by in a flash. Haha, I make a joke, get it? Flash? Like Minato? Yellow—ah forget it. The Third Shinobi War came to a close. While the attack by Isobu was unexpected and there were some casualties, it was mostly in the civilian districts. The number of ninjas lost in that attack wasn't substantial and Konoha came up on top once again.

I don't know who was exactly lost, but hopefully when the time comes it's not anyone important. Yeah, sorry unimportant people, you're the necessary sacrifice. Your lives will be forgotten and never remembered. May you rest in misery. Yeah, what are you going to do about it dead people, come back to life and kick my ass? Like that—Oh wait, they can do that here…Damn it! Sorry dead people! Forget what I said!

A month before my birthday, two months before I've reached a full year living in Konoha, I was summoned to the hokage's office. Why? I don't know. I haven't pranked anyone lately and usually Obito or Kushina takes the blame for the pranks. I don't know why I would be called to the office.

"Kasa!" waved Obito when I arrived. I lit up as I jogged over to his side.

"Did you get caught for a prank?" I whispered conspiringly.

"Nope, not that I know of anyway," grinned the former Uchiha.

"Does that mean you have one underway?" I grinned back.

"You'll find out later," whispered the older boy with a wink.

The two of us sniggered before the door opened and Kushina walked out with a distressing face. The two of us looked puzzled when she smiled sadly towards us.

"Kasa-chan, you're here," said the woman softly.

"Kushina-san? Is something wrong?" I asked quickly running to her side and grabbing her hand.

"No, everything is fine sweetie," answered Kushina as she patted my head, running her fingers through my short hair.

"Then why are you so sad?" I asked.

"I shouldn't be sad really. Well…" Kushina trailed off and stepped aside so we could see into the hokage's office. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

"Huh?" I tilted my head and glanced into the office. Inside, along with the Third Hokage was a familiar man with blue hair. A shade of blue I haven't seen in nearly a year. "Tou-san?" I said in surprise when I recognized who it was.

"You've grown so much Kasa!" grinned Tesuri before he held out his arms. "What? Are you too old to give your dad a hug now?"

"Tou-san!" A smile broke out on my face and I dashed forward and tackled him in a hug.

"Kasa, I missed you so much!" Tesuri caught me in mid-tackle and swung me into his arms in a tight hug.

I hugged back just as tight before whacking him furiously. "Where have you been this whole time? You said you were going to come find me!" I snapped.

"It's a long story," laughed Tesuri as he pulled back from the hug. "Oh, you've grown so big! What happened to your hair? I thought you liked having long hair."

"Long story, tell you when we have the time." I retorted with a roll of my eyes.

"Which, we'll have plenty of time to catch up on," said Tesuri.

"Hem," coughed Hiruzen, interrupting our little reunion. "I believe we have a matter to attend to."

"Right," apologized Tesuri with a humble bow. "Sorry Hokage-sama, I was just so excited to see my daughter again. I apologize for my rudeness sir."

"Understandable," puffed out Hiruzen as smoke escaped from his mouth and pipe. "Do we have everyone pertaining to this matter here? Or are we waiting?"

"No, after Uzumaki-san, Obito-kun is the last one," confirmed Tesuri.

Confusion crossed my face as I looked at him and then to Kushina and Obito. What's going on? Why would we need them specifically?

"Kasa, as you know, you came to Konoha nearly a year ago," started Hiruzen as he nursed his pipe. "And in that year, you've done something very amazing that Konoha will be very thankful for, for the generations coming."

"…Okay?" I said in confusion. The old man chuckled at my response.

"Your charmed bluntness will be missed," said the man wryly. "However, if you wish to return, you're welcome to do so at any time."

Missed? What does he mean missed? I glanced at Tesuri.

"Tou-san, what is he talking about?" I asked.

"Kasa, the war is over. We don't have to worry about running away from Ame anymore," said Tesuri.

"So?" I frowned.

"So?" repeated the man in surprise. "We can go wherever we want now. We can leave Konoha today and see the world. Wouldn't you like that? It'll just be you and me."

"Leave… Konoha?" I gapped at his words.

What? WHAT?

* * *

Author's Note: Okay… I'm quite sure, I'm inherently evil by this point. Forgive me?


	13. Chapter Twelve: Stages of Grief

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twelve: Stages of Grief**

WHAT? Leave Konoha? What the hell Tesuri?

"I don't want to go." I shoved off from his hold and scrambled over to Kushina. "I want to stay here in Konoha! I want to stay with Kushina-san."

"Kasa… Uzumaki-san is not your mother," said the man evenly.

"I don't care!" I snapped. I was angry "I want to stay here with Kushina-san! I want to stay here with Obito and Minato-san and everyone else! I don't want to go!"

"Kasa, we are leaving," said Tesuri, almost annoyed by my reaction.

"No!" I stomped my feet. "You left me for an entire year! I don't want to go with you!"

"Kasa Mon, I am your father and you will listen to me. We. Are. Leaving," said the man firmly.

I clenched onto Kushina's pants as I hid behind her. I can't leave now! I won't leave! Thing are changing! If I don't keep an eye on things, who knows what would happen?

"Kasa-chan, you can't be like that," said Kushina softly as she knelt down to my level. "He's your father. You should listen to him."

"Why are you standing on his side?" I grounded out. "I don't want to leave Konoha! I like it here! I like going to classes with Hana and Itachi. I like playing pranks with Obito! I like training with Rin-san! I like annoying Kakashi-san and I like living with you and Minato-san! Why can't I stay?"

"Kasa, I know you like it here. I know Uzumaki-san took good care of you, but you don't belong here," said Tesuri. "You're not wanted in Konoha."

"But…" I looked between him and Kushina before lastly on Hiruzen. "But I thought you said I could be a Konoha shinobi…"

Hiruzen sighed. "I did say you could, but the issue lies within the council."

"What?" I whispered. The council?

"After the attack by Sanbi, the council have decided it would be too dangerous to have both Sanbi's jinchuriki in the village. It would be too easy for the unstableness of the yin energy you carry to trigger the release of Sanbi from Rin."

No… I shook my head, denying every word coming from his mouth.

"Given your young age, you haven't the skill or control to maintain the yin energy that's within you. I would send Rin away on a long mission until you've gained control, but you are aware of the war has just recently ended. There were many casualties and a good number of our shinobi are injured."

No. I don't want to believe it.

"We need Rin's expertise, we're short on iryo-nin. It was a difficult decision, but you must understand Kasa-kun, there was no other choice."

"NO!" I shook my head. "I promise I'll train really hard! Harder than ever! I'll control that chakra! I'll do whatever you ask me to! Please, don't make me go!" I cried, feeling the tears soaking my face as I begged to stay.

"I'm sorry Kasa," said the man somberly.

"How about putting more seals on me?" I suggested. "If you seal it up really good, they it won't be a problem right? I was kidding about not wanting more seals! I love seals! Seal me up!"

Kushina placed a hand on my shoulder. "Kasa-chan, you already have a lot of seals on you," reasoned the woman. "If we put anymore on you, it'll disrupt the ones that's keeping you safe from Sanbi's energy."

"What about the seal rings I used on Rin-san? I could use those, right? It would do the same thing, _right_?" I was bargaining.

"Those rings would ruin what little control you've managed. If you use them for long term, you can never be a ninja," said Kushina sadly. "Kasa-chan won't be forever, just until you get hold over that energy. You made progress the last couple of months. With hard work, maybe you can come back in two years."

"Two years?" I croaked. Would she even be alive in a year?

"Honey, I know this is a lot to take in," started Tesuri. "But it's for your own good and the safety of Konoha. You don't want to end up hurting Konoha, right?"

I turned to Obito for help. "Obito, I don't want to leave." I sobbed.

The older boy looked torn as he walked over and pulled me from Kushina's arms. I buried my face into his shoulder and cried. He hushed me gently and brushed the back of my head soothingly. "I'm sorry Kasa… I can't do anything."

"I'm sorry," repeated Hiruzen. "You may take the rest of today to say your goodbyes. Tomorrow, I will have ANBU escort you to the village gates."

"Tesuri-san, you could stay with us tonight," suggested Kushina.

"It's all right, I can find a hotel," murmured Tesuri. "I don't think she'll want me to take away the last night she has here."

"I understand… I wished you could've stayed longer. I would've loved to talk more about Somuku Uzumaki."

The man smiled sadly. "I would've liked that too."

"Do you want me to take you to see Hana and Itachi?" whispered Obito quietly.

I fought back the sniffles as I stepped back from his hug. "N-no." I hiccupped. "I can do it on my own."

"You sure?" asked Obito. "If I take you, it'll be faster and you'll have more time with them."

I shook my head. "I want to walk around Konoha a little bit."

Obito planted a hand on my head. "All right. Take all the time you need."

I wiped away my tears and ran off without another look at Hiruzen or Tesuri. I don't want to talk to either of them. As I made my way out of the administration office, I ran faster and faster. Pass the stores, pass the people, pass everything! The tears in my eyes made it a little hard to see, but I angrily blinked it away as I made my way into the forest.

I didn't look for Hana; I didn't look for Itachi or Shisui. I didn't want to say goodbye to anyone! I don't know how long I ran or how far I went into the forest, but by the time I tripped and fell flat on my face, I was opening bawling. This was probably the saddest thing you'll ever see. And I don't mean sad like Bambi's mom getting killed, I mean sad like a lame sports fan crying over their losing team.

I'm a grown woman, but I'm bawling like a spoiled little brat that got her toy taken away. What the hell is wrong with me? Did I really think that everything would be this easy? This isn't a game! Things don't just magically go your way because you know certain things.

Yet, never before have I wished that were the case so I could stay here. My bawling turned into sobs, and eventually slowed to a sniffle. I lay on the ground fighting the hiccups as the last of my tears stopped and my nose was completely stuffed. I'm not a very pretty sight to look at right now.

"Damn it." I grumbled under my breath. "Stupid Tesuri, stupid Sandaime. Stupid Sanbi."

I rubbed my nose with the back of my sleeve. March was still a tad bit chilly for short sleeves even in Konoha. I glared down at the bandages peeking out from under my sleeves.

"Too bad you don't have a cheat code for special event situations. A training montage and time jump would be pretty damn convenient right now." I fought back the hyperventilating breath that lingered from the crying. "Fat lot of use you are. Can't even skip the stupid cut scenes."

"Do you always talk to yourself?" asked a soft voice.

I jumped at the voice and looked for the source.

"Up here," said the voice.

"Kabuto?" I glanced up in surprise.

Geez, what is with my luck? I don't want to see anyone and the person I least want to see show up after months of avoiding him. What the hell?

"What are you doing up in a tree?" I asked.

"What are you doing down there crying?" returned the other.

Touché. For the longest time neither of us said anything, he stayed up in the tree and I stayed sulking on the dirt. It was an okay silence. I'm surprised that I didn't mind it at all.

"I'm hiding," murmured the silver-haired boy.

"…Me too." I replied, kind of weird that we're talking like this.

"What are you hiding from?" asked the boy curiously.

"Everyone." I muttered. "You?"

"Same," replied Kabuto, his leg swinging idly from the top of the branch. "They'll come looking you know. They always do."

"I know." I mumbled. "Why are you hiding if you know that?"

He shrugged. "No reason. Do you have one?"

"…No." I gave a weak laugh. "At least not one I could use anyway… It kind of sucks being a kid. We can't do anything."

"Yes we can," replied Kabuto. I glanced up at him, almost hopeful at his declaration. "We can make everything difficult."

"Difficult?" I raised a brow.

"Difficult to take care, difficult to make money, difficult to live," said the boy quietly. "We could make everything harder for everyone, but… that's not really good either."

"Yeah…" I murmured, curling up into my legs. "Hey, Kabuto. Do you like living here? In Konoha, I mean."

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. It's okay I guess."

"I love it here. It's so bright and warm. " I murmured quietly. "Wish I could stay."

"Why don't you?" asked Kabuto.

"Can't, I'm getting kicked out of the village tomorrow. I can't come back until…" I trailed off. "Never mind."

"Do you want me to hide you?" asked the boy.

"How? They'll come looking for me. You said so yourself." I pointed out.

He shrugged again. "They can look, but it doesn't mean they can find you."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"They are the leaves that bathe in the sun," started the boy.

My eyes widened as I resisted the urge to scramble away. They got him already? This soon?

"Hide somewhere the sun won't reach and they can't find you," murmured the boy as he glanced down at me. "I could help you stay in Konoha if you want, but you'll probably won't be able to walk around like you are now."

He's talking about ROOT, about Danzo and Orochimaru. My chest constricted, I couldn't breathe. Calm down Kasa, he's a child right now. He can't do anything yet, but what if he's not alone? Stop thinking Kasa. Just get up and run. Get up and run!

"But… it doesn't look like you would like that very much," sighed the boy as he jumped down from the tree and landed softly on the ground. I can't even land that softly from that height. He took a step forward before squatting down in front of me, with his arms resting on his legs. "You don't look like you like to hide at all."

"…Do you like to hide?" I forced the words out of my mouth. Why am I scared? Why am I scared of this child? I've nearly died facing the freaking Sanbi and I wasn't scared! Why am I scared of him?

"Not really," murmured the silver-haired child. "But I'm really good at it. What are you good at Kasa-san?"

I felt my skin crawl as he said my name. Why am I so bothered by this kid? He hasn't done anything yet!

"…Ru…n…" I croaked out.

"What was that?" frowned Kabuto. "I didn't catch that."

"RUN!" I shouted before I forced myself off the ground and darted away.

My heart raced as I fled from the boy. I don't care about the look of surprise on his face when I shouted. I don't care about the hurt expression crossing his face when I got up and ran. I want to stay in Konoha, but not in the shadows of ROOT. I had no clue where I was going; I just kept running.

Trees, trees and more trees, I don't even know where I was anymore. Shit… I turned and turned, but I couldn't make sense of anything. Giving an exasperated sigh, I plopped down on the ground and sprawled onto my back, staring at the cloudless blue sky.

"Two years…" I muttered under my breath. "Can I get back before then? Would Kushina…"

I took a deep breath and sighed. If they're going to eject me out of the village, there's nothing I could do. There's nothing I could offer. Hiruzen was right that they needed Rin more so than a little girl that could barely do anything.

I frowned, rummaging through my thoughts. What's the age difference between Itachi and Sasuke? Five years? Six? He's about four now, but he'll turn five in a couple of months. I don't recall Mikoto showing any signs of pregnancy, so Sasuke shouldn't be born this year. Which means Naruto won't be here, this coming October. How much time do I have before then, if I leave with Tesuri?

From now to next October that's nineteen months. I have to gain mastery over Sanbi's chakra and make it back to Konoha before then.

"I can do this." I whispered in acceptance. "I will do this."

Determined, I got up and tried to find my way back. Except… I am totally and utterly lost.

"Argh… minor setback! I can do this!" I snapped, stomping my way through the mazy forest.

However, the further I went, the more lost I got. My irritation grew with each step and by sunset, I was murderous.

"What the hell is with this freaking forest! I've finally settled with my issues and the forest is keeping me hostage! Damn it! Let me get out of here or I will fucking level this place and turn it into ground zero!"

Of course, yelling at the forest as if it was a sentient being was pointless. Trees can't talk after all and that only made me more and more upset. To the point I couldn't even see straight anymore. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear. It was like drowning in the silence. I found myself screaming myself hoarse as I burned with frustration.

Only… that burning wasn't from frustration. It was from chakra. In my anger, I latched onto Sanbi's chakra and it bubbled to the surface around me. I couldn't think, I only felt the burning chakra, scotching and ravaging me from the inside out.

"Kasa-chan!" shouted Minato's voice through the haze. "You have to calm down!"

I screamed, unable to form any words, thrashing as I hit the ground in a fit. My hands clenched onto my head as I tried to calm down, but the raging chakra made it difficult. Stop! I want it to stop! Stop the burning! The echo of ringing chains broke through the haze as I felt my arm and legs restrained.

"Stop fighting us! Kasa! Can you hear me?" shouted Kushina. "Kasa!"

I couldn't see, I couldn't move. I could only hear my own screaming against the clashing chains.

"I'm sorry Kasa." Who said that?

My world turned black.

* * *

You know… I should probably learn out to keep my emotions in check. Considering the tailed-beast chakra is activated by strong emotions. I totally screwed up… Man, I hope I didn't cause any major damage or it'll be really hard to come back to the village… That is if I'm not permanently banned from entry… Damn…

"Awake?" whispered Tesuri softly by my side.

"Yeah." I whispered back, my voice was hoarse. He stayed silent. It didn't seem like there were anyone else around. "Tou-san?"

"Yes Kasa?" asked Tesuri.

"I'll leave Konoha with you…" I murmured quietly.

"Of course honey," murmured the man as he ran his hand through my hair. "We'll leave first thing in the morning."

We stayed in silence for a moment.

"Tou-san?" I whispered again, dipping my face under the covers.

"Hmm?" He patted my head soothingly.

"…Are they mad at me?" I asked, afraid of his answer. "I couldn't control the chakra and made a mess of things… Do you think… they will let me come back?"

"No, they're not angry at you." Tesuri sighed as his hand stilled over my head. "It's been a trying day for you Kasa. Why don't you go to sleep?"

He didn't answer my question.

"…I'm not allowed to come back… am I?" I asked dejectedly.

"…Get some sleep Kasa. We'll talk in the morning," murmured Tesuri as he pecked my head and tucked me in.

I bit back tears as I hid under my covers. I messed up… I want a reset! Where's my save state? Even a saved file will do! I don't like this outcome! I want… I want to stay…

* * *

The next morning, Tesuri gave me a quick healing session to soothe my throat before we left the hotel. No one was there the previous night because Tesuri had decided to take me to the hotel with him. The sun was barely up, a bluish hue covered the sleepy village as we made it to the village gates. We didn't say anything the whole way there.

I didn't want to talk. My throat still stung after the healing session and there really wasn't anything I want to talk about. I kind of wish I didn't waste that time running away and went to say good-bye to Hana, Itachi and Shisui. I wonder when's the next time I'm going to see them?

On a more morbid thought, how many of them would be alive the next time I see them? If I'm banned from coming back to Konoha… when will I ever see them again? I bit my lower lip forcing myself to hold back tears. Crying's not going to help, suck it up! You're pathetic Kasa! Some woman you are, you're crying like a four-year-old!

"Kasa," nudged Tesuri.

"What?" I didn't bother looking up from the ground.

"Don't you want to take one last look?" asked the man gently.

"Why?" I grumbled quietly.

"I think you'll want to," said Tesuri as he lifted my chin with a finger.

"Kasa-chan!" shouted Obito.

I stopped, startled by his voice before I took a closer look.

"Kasa-chan!" shouted Hana and Shisui as they waved. Kushina and Minato were there, so were Itachi and Rin, even Kakashi came.

"What are they…?" I trailed off, lost for words.

"Come on, Kasa. You want to say goodbye at least right?" said Tesuri as he grabbed my hand and tugged my along.

When we came close enough, Hana broke from the group and tackled me with a hug. "Kasa-chan! That was mean! You were going to leave without telling us?"

"What are you doing here?" I asked, baffled by their presence.

"Kushina-san told us!" said Hana as she backed up from her hug. "How come you didn't tell us about you being sick?"

"Huh?" I barely managed and glanced at Kushina. She smiled and raised a hushed finger.

"Yeah, you were going to leave with your dad for treatment and you didn't tell us? That's not very nice," chided Shisui. "Who knows how long before you come back? You are coming back right?"

"Coming… back?" I croaked out.

"The treatment only takes about two years right?" added Hana. "You should be back long before the genin exams. That is if you keep up with your studies."

"…Exams?" I glanced up to Tesuri, who smiled warmly.

"That's right, once Kasa feels all better, she'll come back to Konoha. She can take the genin exam and make her way to becoming an iryo-nin," said Tesuri. "That's what you wanted right?"

"I can come back?" I asked, choking as I glanced at Kushina and Minato for confirmation.

"As soon as you get better," agreed Kushina. "We'll be waiting for you."

"But don't take too long," interrupted Obito. "We still have a ton of pranks to pull and I totally have to show you the pictures of the prank you missed yesterday."

Kakashi punched him over the head. "You had pictures!"

Rin giggled. "Though, Kakashi might kill Obito first if you take too long."

Minato grinned slyly as he crossed his arms. "Or maybe, when you get back, you'll get your cute little brother."

"Minato!" Kushina's face flushed red as she smacked him in the arm.

"I can come back…?" I found myself laughing in tears. "I can come back!"

"Kasa-chan? Why are you crying?" asked Hana as the tears poured down my face.

Hana, Itachi and Shisui, they have no clue why I was leaving.

"N-nothing, I just have some sand in my eyes," I lied, grinning as I rubbed away the tears. Obito smiled. "I'm totally going to get better before then!"

"If you don't," started Shisui with a snigger. "I think Itachi's going to get more moody without his favorite forehead to poke."

Itachi gave an uncharacteristic harrumph and turned away with his arms crossed. Grinning I ran over to him a hug and a hug to everyone else following after him. The Uchiha heir's eyes widened when I did so, but everyone else gracious accepted theirs.

"I promise I'll be back really soon!" I said.

Itachi gave me one last stare before sighing. "You better."

I grinned giving them a two-finger salute before snatching Tesuri's hand and followed him off pass the gates. "I'll be back in less than two years!"

And that's a promise, I'm aiming to keep.

* * *

Author's Note: Since I did so many cliffhangers earlier, I'll be nice and wrap this one up. The next update might not be for a little while. I'll do my best to work on it, but the following chapters might take a little longer until I could get Kasa back into Konoha anyway. As always, thanks for reading! You guys are awesome!


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Anger

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Thirteen: Anger**

"Tou-san, so where have to been all this time?" I asked as we traveled. My mood hadn't gotten any better since we left. There was something going on with Tesuri and it's outright pissing me off. "We have time to talk now right?"

"Of course," grinned Tesuri. "Let's see… After I left you with Obito-kun, I diverted the Iwa-nin away from you two. I managed to lose them in a few days, but it became a bit difficult after that."

"Why?" I asked, my hands busying themselves with the chakra chain practice Kushina taught me. Why waste time when I could practice and walk? Multitask! Though, at this point I could only make threads and only enough into a cat's cradle… not exactly useful.

"I got accosted by Konoha-nin," said Tesuri. "They thought I was an enemy and dragged me off to interrogations."

I paused. He was dragged of to T&I? Was that why he was gone for so long?

He noticed me stopping and gave a reassuring smile. "I wasn't there for long. Maybe a month?"

A month? How are you still alive? Who's on interrogations right now? Ibiki? No, that can't be, he's probably around Kakashi's age… Was T&I less scary before Ibiki? Or… My eyes widened. Oh my god, my father in this reality is into BDSM! Man, I would totally not expect it with that blue hair and nice disposition! Tesuri you weirdo!

"Kasa?" questioned Tesuri. "Are you coming?"

"Uh… Yeah, coming." I said as I jogged to catch up. "Um… what did they do to you there?" Oh hell, why the hell am I asking? I do _not_ want to know Tesuris's weird kinks!

"Nothing much really. I cooperated, so they didn't really need to do much, but they kept me there as a prisoner until they could clarify what I said. Overall, it wasn't too bad," said Tesuri.

…I don't know should I take his word for it… or wonder if he's lying to protect my innocent mind. If it is the latter, thank you Tesuri, you are a good man and a kind father… just a little freaky. Holy shit, does that mean Somuku is into that stuff too? Oh gods, and if she knows the chakra chains like Kushina… I shuddered.

"Are you cold? Do you need a jacket?" asked Tesuri.

"No! I'm fine! Absolutely fine! Should we continue?" I laughed sheepishly and trailed after him. It was then that I notice his hitai-ate was missing. "How come you're not wearing your hitai-ate?"

"That's because I'm not an Ame-nin anymore," said Tesuri.

"Oh… are you a missing-nin then?" I asked with a frown. Are we going to get hunted down?

"Not exactly."

I blinked… not exactly? What does that even mean?

"Interrogations found out I am an iryo-nin and decided they could use me. I'm technically considered a missing-nin by Ame standards, but the Konoha-nin decided I was more help to them in the field than shipping me back to Ame for a bounty. "

"So…" I frowned. "What are you now?"

"I'm on probation with Konoha," grinned the man.

"Probation?" I repeated before it clicked. "You're a Konoha-nin!"

"Not yet," laughed Tesuri. "Like I said, I'm on probation. I have a couple of things to do before they rank me."

"…So taking me away from the village…?" I trailed off.

His blue eyes drooped and he patted my head. "Sandaime Hokage-sama really tried to convince the council to let you stay with Uzumaki-san, but when you weren't improving as much as they wanted, they decided you needed less distractions and a stricter regime. I have to say, I'm a little happy about this."

I frowned, glancing up at him in question.

"I wouldn't be able to see you otherwise." He smiled sheepishly. "If you had stayed, I probably wouldn't have seen you for another year at least."

I stared at him curiously. "Why?"

"I have to prove my loyalty to the council first. I'm supposed to be on a two-year probation, helping the villages affected by the war with their sick and injured along with any Konoha-nin I come across. I wouldn't have been able to see you, since I wouldn't be in Konoha."

"How does that work?" I frowned.

"Huh?" Tesuri looked confused by my question.

"How come they want you to help the affected villages? Do they charge the villages for your services? And are you the only one they're sending?" I asked. "If that's the case, how do they know you did your job at all? You could've just said you done it while going off doing something else."

The one thing I missed about being around Tesuri was that I could ask him almost any question I could think of without worrying. He won't think I'm weird or anything, just super curious.

"The villages supplied the Konoha outposts during the war and sometimes hosted the injured shinobi. Due to that, they become targets for enemy shinobi. Not every village is willing to put up with that risk. The ones that do, Konoha tries to send out as those they could spare to help with the relief effort. It's their way or repaying them for assisting during the war. When you get older, you'll understand more of the politics."

"Oh…" I don't really need to get older to understand it; I just need to know what's going on to piece everything together.

"So how was living in Konoha? I saw you had quite a few friends" said Tesuri.

I grinned. "It's great! They're all awesome!" I said as I recounted my year with him.

To tell the truth, politics was not my thing. People backstabbing one another to get ahead, not something I like to join in. I'm not really good with indirect conflict. Call me a simpleton if you must; direct conflict is more my style. Playing the game he said, she said would just confuse me. I'm better off with the fight me here and now mentality.

Yep, if you ask me whether I want to fight Danzo or Pein, I would choose Pein even though it's certain death with that guy. At least he doesn't screw around in the background.

"Which village are we going first?" I asked around midday.

We managed to catch up almost completely with what we each did during the year. Surprisingly, I didn't expect Tesuri to be so open with some of the stuff he talked about, but then again I was his own family left. Who else can you trust besides family? Close friends I suppose, but he doesn't seem like to have many, considering he practically jumped ship and left his own village. I felt kind bad for him.

"Not any of the affected village currently. There's one place your mother wanted to show you when you were older, but…" He trailed off, but recovered a moment later with a smile. "She would've loved to go there with you."

I said nothing as I grabbed his hand.

As we went on, Tesuri gave me lessons from the Ame curriculum. Unlike Konoha that focused on a large variety of subjects like the various subsections in the kunoichi classes, they focused on specific areas. Children looking into becoming Ame shinobi were given aptitude tests to see which field they were most suited for.

For the most part, they were encouraged to follow their most compatible skill set. However, if they choose to follow another was up to them if they managed to pass the genin exams. Tou-san had me tested and found I was actually not suitable for the three main categories. Taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu, all three I would not excel in compared to others who had more leaning towards them.

Instead, he found I was more inclined to the enforcer skill set. What's that? Let me back up. Remember that tidbit about me being a natural activator? Yeah, I know you're sick of hearing that already, but bear with me. Unlike the three main jutsu types, the enforcer skill set is very different.

As you know, I could use seals no problem, but I can't ever make them myself. Here's the reason why. Enforcers as the name points to, supports and strengthen things, creating things doesn't go well with it.

Ninjutsu and genjutsu are creation type techniques, where blowing fire and creating illusions can be done with a little chakra. While enforcers can still use them, it eats up more chakra than necessary and overall becomes useless and wasteful.

Now, you would think enforcers would be perfect for taijutsu because it sounds sort of like Lee's issue with not being able to use ninjutsu and genjutsu, but here's the problem. Taijutsu, while not required to mold chakra like the other two main types, still manipulates chakra to change and enhance the body with training and time. Enforcers don't do that.

What they do, do. Now pay attention here, is take something in existence and strengthen it. Like say if an enforcer charge chakra through a knife it'll be sharper. Or a punch would make it harder. But Kasa, you say, that sounds like it will go well with taijutsu.

No, it doesn't. Taijutsu with time changes the body, making it stronger, turning it into a weapon. If an enforcer tried it, the body won't change. Sure, there will be a minor boost in power during that fight, but it's temporary and will not improve the body with continuous use. If you're a card game person, think of it as a quick play card. Yeah, next round you're screwed if you haven't taken them out.

So, how exactly is this thing useful at all if I can't use it in conjunction with the other jutsu types? The hell do I know, I'm kind of pissed off I got the short pick of the straw. No wonder I was having so much trouble with Kushina's chakra chain exercise.

"Kasa, it's not so bad being an enforcer," said Tesuri. "It just means you'll work very well as a iryo-nin."

I blinked. "Really?"

"Hmm…" Tesuri paused as he pondered how to explain it to me. "If I am to heal someone seriously injured right now, it will take me a week. You would probably be able to do it in half the time when you're a certified iryo-nin."

"How does that work?" I frowned. "Wouldn't it take a lot more for me to use the same iryo-ninjutsu as you to heal them…? That doesn't make sense."

"Think of it this way." His hand glowed slightly to catch my attention. "You know how healing chakra works."

"Yeah…" I nodded.

"After a healing session with an iryo-nin, the healing chakra stays in the system for quite sometime before it gets absorbed into the body," started the man.

I nodded again.

"Say, you just gave a patient a healing session. The chakra's already in the system and you can't add anymore to it until the body absorbs it. However, with your skill set, you can condense that chakra allowing you to pump in more healing chakra. The body will absorb it in the same rate as the initial input, but with the saturated amount."

"So…" My brows furrowed as I tried to find an example to match what he's saying. "If I have a explosive tag with the range of… let's say ten feet? With my ability… the range be the same, but the intensity of the blast becomes stronger? So… if the normal tag blows up the ten feet range, the people would get scorched and maybe third degree burns… but with the enhanced tag…"

"They would be incinerated," finished Tesuri with a grin. "Of course, you could also increase the range instead of power, making it useful against a large group of enemies instead."

My jaw dropped. I seriously think Tesuri should not tell his four-year-old daughter that she could possibly incinerate someone with her skills, but this is flipping awesome! It kind of sucks that I can't throw jutsus of mass destruction at whim like Naruto or Sasuke, but who cares? I have other ways to blow shit up!

"Of course, it'll be a long while before you can do any of that. You can barely control your chakra as is. In order to take advantage of your enforcer skill set, you need to be able to refine your chakra control to maximum accuracy, which you need to do anyway since you want to be an iryo-nin right?"

"Yeah!" I agreed enthusiastically.

The lessons grew slightly better after finding out my natural inclinations. Before, back in Konoha, I always felt that I wasn't meant to do any of this stuff, since I wasn't good at ninjutsu, genjutsu or taijutsu. Now that I know the reason why, I'm more determined to do this.

In a way, this was a little fair. I started off in this world with a pretty good hand. Foreknowledge, a ninja family and the Uzumaki luck, that thing was a double-edged blade, but more often than not, it's on my side. So, I guess I shouldn't be griping about needing to train more than the other characters to match up.

Nearly a week and a half later, we made it to the waterside ruins of Uzushiogakure, the village where Kushina and Somuku were born. Tesuri was starting to grow more and more unbearable with each passing day… was he always this irritating? Forget it, where was I? Oh right, I can't say I felt much about the place. Sure, it should totally invoke something, but I feel rather detached. Maybe it was because I've never been here before? Or the fact I don't know anyone here aside from Kushina and Somuku… with the both of them, the first village that comes to mind were Konoha and Ame.

"Your mother always talked about this place," said Tesuri as we stared out to the river. On the other side of the bank were more ruins. "It's beautiful."

I wanted to sigh; I get the feeling I'm going to get a really long flashback story from him… It's only appropriate given the location and all, but I really don't want to hear a sappy love story right now.

"She hated it with a passion," laughed Tesuri.

I did a double take, not what I expected. "Hate?"

"She complained about how there's always fighting. The people of Uzushiogakure were very quick tempered, especially the ones from the Uzumaki clan. She said it was quite common for them to randomly fire off a seal and launch someone thirty feet into the air when they're annoyed," chuckled Tesuri.

I would sweat drop at this. Apparently, the hot-bloodedness runs in the clan if Kushina was any indication.

"Come to think of it, the first time I met your mother, she did the same exact thing to me," laughed the man.

"... Kaa-san sounds scarier than Kushina-san." I frowned that doesn't sound like Somuku at all. "I remember her being very nice. Are you sure?"

Tesuri patted my head. "That's because you haven't upset her even once when we were still together. Your mother was a frightening woman when she put her mind to it."

"…Can she do that demon hair thing Kushina-san does?" I asked.

"Demon hair?" Tesuri raised a brow.

"Yeah, when Kushina-san gets angry her hair flairs up into the air like flames and she looks like a total demon! It's really cool! I tried asking her to teach me, but she just laughed it off." I grumbled.

Tesuri stayed quiet for a moment. "Kasa, do you like Uzumaki-san a lot?"

"Yeah, she's really nice and fun!" Before grimacing at the memory of her training. "But she's could be very scary if you get her angry."

"… I see," murmured the man quietly.

I glanced at him in puzzlement. "Is something wrong? You're acting weird Tou-san."

"Kasa… Do you miss your mother?" asked the blue-haired man.

Oh, so that's what this is about.

"Sometimes." I answered truthfully.

"Only sometimes?" pressed Tesuri.

"Tou-san, I didn't replace Kaa-san with Kushina-san." I said bluntly, startling him that I knew what he was thinking about. "Kushina-san is nice and fun, but she's not Kaa-san. I know that. You don't have to worry about me forgetting what she looks like."

"… You asked Uzumaki-san and Namikaze-san for a little brother many times…" noted the man.

Ah… right, there's that… How do I get out of this one?

"… I didn't want to sleep with Kushina-san." I answered after a moment and he gave me a questioning look. "I said it so I wouldn't have to share a bed with her." I gave a shrug. "I like Kushina-san a lot, but she's not Kaa-san. I couldn't think of anything else to say besides that. Her and Minato-san turned so red! You should've seen it!"

He didn't really smile. Did I say something wrong again? Argh, what do you say to a man that's been widowed and terrified that his daughter might find a new family more desirable than staying with her sad old dad?

"Are you mad at what I said in Hokage-sama's office?" I asked, deciding to get to the point. If I pussy foot around, it'll be dark by the time we're done.

"Are you mad that I was gone for nearly a whole year?" He returned the question tiredly.

I puffed up my cheeks. "Stop it! Just stop it!"

Tesuri looked at me in surprise. I know I should let the man have his space and grieve over his dead wife, but right now I feel like being an asshole. I'm going to be traveling with him for the next year, maybe two if I'm unlucky and I am not putting up with his internal crisis. I have enough on my plate as is!

"Kaa-san's not around anymore and I can't even go back to Konoha until I learn how to control my chakra! It's not fair that you're mad at me!" I snapped. "I haven't seen you in a year and the first thing you do is take me away from Konoha and then you get mad at me because of it!"

"Kasa…"

"No! Kaa-san said I have to take care of you and me! And I can't do either if you hate me! Stop hating me! You're not supposed to hate me!" I growled before pressing a hand to my head. Why the hell is it getting fuzzy?

"Kasa, calm down," ordered Tesuri.

"NO! I'm not going to listen to you!" I snapped back, my hand pressing harder into my head. Damn this headache! "You've been horrible all week! And now you're jealous of Kushina-san and Minato-san just because I miss them! I liked you better when Kaa-san was around! At least then you weren't a jackass!"

"Kasa, you have to calm down," urged Tesuri. "If you get too riled up…"

I blacked out… This is getting old…

* * *

Okay… apparently I'm not allowed to get angry anymore or else I turn into Hulk, minus the green skin and ripped clothes… Well, that sucks. I wonder if it's the chakra that's making me angry or my anger is triggering the chakra to surface? Argh, I wish I could do something about all this anger! I've never felt so angry in my life! I don't like feeling angry!

Calm down Kasa! Calm down! Think happy thoughts. Ignore everything negative. Ignore… Ignore… Ig… FUCK IT ALL!

I screamed and thrashed.

"Kasa! Please calm down," begged Tesuri through the haze.

Where the hell am I? I wanted to say something, but it came out in growls.

"This is why I hate children," sighed a woman's voice.

Who was that? I couldn't see.

"Calm down!" snapped the woman before I felt a hard flick to my forehead.

Again with the forehead! Why is it always the forehead? Is that why ninjas wear hitai-ate on their foreheads? So they could stop people from flicking their head? Seriously, this is like the third person to do this! Is this some weird ninja fetish? Forehead flicking?

However, unlike the previous flicks, there was a surge of healing chakra behind it. I found a familiar warmth wash over my mind as my brain turned into jelly from the brain massage. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I slumped into waiting arms. That was nice…

"What idiot put this seal on a child? There's no way she could handle the stress from it!" snapped the woman. "I'm surprised she hasn't gone insane yet from the sheer amount of demonic chakra saturating her brain."

"Tsunade-sama, I don't think this is the time or place for this," whispered a timid woman.

Tsunade? I cracked open an eye and saw a hazy figure hovering over me. She tugged at my lower eyelid forcing it to open for a better look.

"Her pupils are dilated. Shizune, get her to our room. We're giving her treatment right now," ordered the woman.

"Yes, ma'am," replied the woman before I was hauled up into the air and rushed to who knows where.

"I knew today was going to be a bad day when I won twenty thousand ryo this morning," grumbled Tsunade before I completely faded.

* * *

Author's Note: All right, I lied I got this chapter up pretty quickly, but I do have some matters to attend to the next couple of days, so maybe slower updates. Kasa's a bit off the kilter here, please forgive her. Sorry there's not much going on in this chapter and the amount of text blocks. Hopefully, I don't need to go into as much details in the future with Kasa's curriculum and as always, thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Counting Down the Days

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Fourteen: Counting Down the Days**

My brain feels so fuzzy and warm. I wonder when was the last time I felt this way? With what happened in the past week and half, it felt horrible. It's like a dam building up in my head and it suddenly cracked and burst open. I'm not sure what happened after I blacked out the second time, I haven't woken up even once since then. Right now, I'm kind of stuck in limbo and the quietness is boring me to tears.

The only consolation is this awesome brain massage. Seriously, you guys got to try this if you ever get the chance! It makes me feel so giddy and happy! I don't even remember why I was so angry with Tesuri in the first place…

I hope my brain isn't degenerating into a child mentality because that would totally suck balls. Can you imagine? The mind of a child with the knowledge of everything that's going to happen to the world, the possibilities were frightening. Adding to the fact that I was an evil child in my previous life. Seriously, I rooted for all villains until high school. You don't want me here as an evil child.

I wonder if there are any precautions I could do to keep me from turning to the dark side. I know they have cookies, but I kind of don't want to lurk in the dark like a sparkling vampire. Ugh… Kill all sparkling vampires! KILL THEM WITH FIRE!

Okay, I'm not going nuts again; I was just trying to be funny… I guess it's not working out very well. I seriously need to find my mojo and get back into the groove.

A pulse of chakra went through my mind, this time it was less gentle than the healing chakra. I found myself gritting my teeth and I shot up holding my head.

"Oww…" I whined.

"Good, you're awake. How's your head feeling?" asked a firm voice. I glanced above me and found a busty blonde woman hovering over me. Hello, nurse! Yeah, I'm kidding there, I don't like chicks, I prefer dudes.

"It… doesn't hurt?" I said in confusion rubbing my head. "Where am I?"

Tsunade raised a brow. "You wake up to a stranger and you ask where you are?"

"Why not?" I shrugged. "You don't look like you were going to kill me."

"… Okay," shrugged the woman, completely fine with my explanation. I like her. "Want to tell me who's the dumbass that put that there on your forehead? It nearly fried your brain."

Ooh, only nearly? I'm getting better! I was expecting the, you almost died, speech again.

"Uh… he said it was to save me." I answered, not really wanting to oust Jiraiya. She's totally going to kill him if she found out.

"Did this man happen to have long spiky white hair and red streaks under his eyes? Named Jiraiya?" droned the woman.

Ah shit, she knows. I gave a silent nod.

"…I'm going to kill him," growled the woman as she rubbed the side of her temple. "Do you know what that seal on your head does?"

"Sort…of? It stores chakra… but I'm not allowed to use it yet until I learn how to control chakra. Kushina-san said it would be too dangerous to use it." I answered truthfully.

"Kushina?" frowned the woman. "As in Kushina Uzumaki?"

I nodded. "She was supposed to teach me how to control my chakra and how to use all the seals on my body."

"…There are more seals?" grounded out Tsunade livid with the thought. I could feel anger rolling off her.

"Uh..." Nice knowing you Jiraiya. "Kaa-san put two on me, and Jiraiya-san put two on me." I'm a little surprised she didn't notice the other three or was she busy with keeping my brain from frying. "They were supposed to help—"

"Show me!" demanded the woman furiously as she smashed the nightstand next to the bed.

"I need an adult!" I shouted the first thing that came to mind as I jolted back, surprised by her outburst.

"I am an adult!" snapped the woman.

"Pft—" I slapped my hands against my mouth to keep myself from giggling. Good lord, I really need to stop doing this in the most inappropriate times.

"Stop laughing and show me the seals girl," repeated the crossed woman.

"Yes ma'am!" I replied, quickly unraveling the bandages around my arms.

She grabbed my arms, giving the seals a close look before nodding to herself. "These are done by your mother?"

I nodded rapidly, not wanting to cross her. "The other one done by Jiraiya-san is on my stomach."

Tsunade frowned. "Did he tell you what seal it was?"

"Yeah, it's the Four Symbols Seal. He said it's to…" I bite my tongue; I'm not supposed to talk about Isobu's chakra. In the village if I let it slip, worse comes to worse people don't like me. Out here, I let it slip and something much worse might happen.

She moved forward brushing my shirt up and sent a pulse of chakra into my stomach. I grimace at the forcefulness of the chakra before the squiggly lines made its way to the surface of my stomach. Her eyes widened.

"A jinchuriki?" She frowned. "No, you're not, but this chakra… demonic." Revelation crossed her face as she looked into my eyes. "You said Jiraiya placed these seals on you to save you. Why? What happened that made him decide to put demonic chakra of all things into you?"

I grimaced. "I ran out?"

"Ran out?" said the woman in disbelief. "What were you doing that you would run out?"

"Uh… Activating the Five Elements Seal?" I shrunk back when she stared at me.

"I… don't even…" Lost for words, she pressed a hand against her face and muttered to herself. Completely forgetting I was in the room with her.

"Um… If you don't mind me asking… Where's Tou-san?" I squeaked out.

"Out, he was triggering your break downs. Until we deal with the seal on your head, you're not seeing your father," grumbled the woman. "What is your issue with him?"

"Uh… I don't have any problem with him really…" I mumbled.

"You do," said the woman. I glanced at her curiously. "You were quite vocal about it during your break downs."

I scratched the back of my head. "Uh… he's not angry is he?"

She raised a brow. "I'm quite sure we're talking about you being angry at him."

"Well… I'm a little upset that I have to leave Konoha and the fact he left me for a year or so… but I got over it… I think…"

"Are you sure now?" asked the woman.

"What do you want me to say?" I grumbled. "I'm super mad and don't ever want to see him again? Or that I was never angry with him to begin with? Why can't I be in the middle?"

She raised a finger and I shut up almost instinctively. "Interesting…"

"Huh?" I tilted my head, puzzled.

"Someone must've flicked your forehead a lot," grinned the woman. "You're conditioned to calm down and focus when you're aware a finger is raised. You stopped rambling."

What? Damn it! Itachi pulled a Pavlov's dog on me!

"That makes things a little easier," said the woman as she pressed two fingers to the seal on her head. "From now on, this action will be your focus, if you lose yourself or your temper, fall back on your focus."

…Tell me I'm not the only person that thought she might teleport somewhere with instant transmission with that move. No? Never mind then.

"Why?" I frowned. How does that even work?

"Your issue isn't with your father, it's with your focus. The instant you get diverted from your focus, you start losing yourself," answered the woman with a raised finger. "Before, when I started asking you questions you were confused and anxious, but your mind was alert and assessing everything I did and said."

I found myself focusing on her finger's movement despite trying not to.

"However, as we moved on, your mind started drifting. By the time I got to questioning you about your father your mind diverted. Even though you started civilly and have no anger towards you father, but once the thought of uncertainty was introduced, you completely lost focus and your outbursts occur."

"Oh…" I scratched the back of my head glancing away from her when she dropped her hand.

"Until you learned how to control your chakra and maintain your control over the portion of yin chakra sealed in you, you have to maintain your focus. If you let yourself get overwhelmed the chakra will spread and seep deeper into your brain, deteriorating it until you become nothing more than a feral mess."

My eyes widened. "You mean I'll turn into a monster?"

"Eventually, if you lose yourself often enough," answered Tsunade.

Well… Shit… That's not good.

"The next time I see that damn pervert, I'm going to kill him," growled the woman. "The Yin Seal was originally meant to convert demonic chakra and nature chakra for safe use. It was only meant for someone with precise and expert chakra control and went and placed it on a child!"

"Um… I'm learning how to control my chakra if that's any help?" I added lamely. "Kushina-san taught me some exercises and Tou-san was walking me through some basic iryo-ninjutsu earlier this week."

Tsunade raised a brow. "You're interested in learning iryo-ninjutsu?"

"Yeah!" I nodded. "I think ninjutsu is pretty cool, but even the best ninjutsu user can't do anything if they're hurt and being an iryo-nin means everyone has to listen to you! How cool is that?"

A wry grin touched the woman's lips. "Being an iryo-nin is a lot of work and a good number of times they can't see their family and friends because of the demands for their skills. They're either always at the hospital or out on the field as support. Are you okay with that?"

"Hmm…" I pondered over her words.

I've never thought about that. Ever since I've gotten to Konoha, all that mattered was surviving and maybe change the future for the better. I didn't expect to make friends with the kids or Team Minato. If I do become an iryo-nin, I might not seem them at all, even if I remained in Konoha.

"That is true… I haven't seen Tou-san in a year because he was doing that… and it wouldn't be fun to not see my friends…" I murmured.

Tsunade sighed slowly through her nose, probably a bit exasperated with dealing with a child. "It's just a thought, you still have plenty of time to decide—"

"Nah." I cut her off before she could finish and gave a bright grin despite the startled look on her face. "I still want to be one! Just like Tou-san."

"What? But you said…" She trailed off as I shrugged.

"If I become an iryo-nin, I'll just make sure I'm on a team with my friends if I'm on the field and keep them alive. And if I miss Tou-san, we can both work at the hospital then that'll solve that problem. Since we'll both be iryo-nin then we'll never be home anyway. The hospital can be our second home." I finished.

Not that I could control where the heck they'll send me after I get my certification as an iryo-nin. This is just the hopeful child in me talking. There's nothing wrong with being hopeful right? Hell, I'm already trying to be hopeful that I haven't screwed up this world too much already. What's one more to the list?

"You hear that Tesuri?" said Tsunade with great amusement. "Sounds like your daughter still idolize and love you very much."

I blinked in surprise when the door opened and I saw Shizune patting Tou-san on the shoulder as he pressed a hand against his eye with a weak chuckle.

"I'm such an idiot," said the man as he made his way into the room. "Nearly thirty years of age and I'm jealous that my daughter might like someone else aside from me."

"…Tou-san you idiot." I grumbled, raising my arms up to demand a hug. I have enough of getting upset. I need a hug! Hugs make everything better, though not like sprinkles, because sprinkles suck. They get stuck in your teeth.

The man smiled weakly and scooped me into his arms into a tight hug. "Sorry Kasa."

"Well," grinned Tsunade. "I'd like to see what happens when your daughter begins to have suitors. It seems like there's someone already."

Good lord not this again. I resisted the urge to sigh, but blinked in surprise when Tesuri tightened his grip.

"Someone?" said Tesuri almost possessively before turning to me. "Kasa, which one of those Uchiha boys is it?"

I stared at him in disbelief. He's one of _those_ dads… "What are you talking about Tou-san? What's a suitor?" I feigned ignorance.

Tesuri held me possessively. "Don't ever grow up."

Too late Tou-san, I'm already grown up. I wonder how he's going to take it when I physically grow into a teenager? Somuku and Kushina were both hot and come to think of it… wasn't Tsunade also an Uzumaki descent? Oh well, not my problem anymore! Good luck Y-chromosomes of this world! Have fun with this overprotective closet BDSM father.

Nothing you say will convince me otherwise that he came out of T&I without a scratch or mental scar without being into BDSM.

Tesuri managed to coerce Tsunade to give me two weeks worth of training. How he did so… I don't know and I don't think I wasn't to know with how Shizune clammed up so quickly. It's probably for the best for my sanity that I don't question what the heck Tesuri does behind the scenes. I might be scared of what I find.

In the two weeks of training with Tsunade, I learned that any woman descended from the Uzumaki Clan was insane! Even Somuku, from Tesuri's stories, that woman was just as equally mad as Kushina and Tsunade. You would think since I need chakra control, they would just drop me in front of a tree or a big puddle of water and be done with it. No, no, no! That was not what this woman did at all!

When Shizune suggested I learned how to do the tree-walking exercise, Tsunade scoffed and said it would take ages through trial and error for me to do so. Not to mention if I lost focus, I would snap at a moment's notice. Instead, she sent me through a sink or swim routine, keeping me at a constant flight or fight response.

I've never been more focused in my life. What she made me do was an equivalent of playing Electric Bar Maze with less than a centimeter of space to go through. Too much chakra and I get electrocuted by the surge. Too little and the whole thing blows up in your face because there's not enough chakra maintain the dividers. I have to direct the chakra through the seal as quickly as I can without getting electrocuted or blown up.

Oh, it won't kill you, but it'll still feel like diffusing a freaking bomb each time you fail. Seriously, that thing hurts like a bitch! It's like stubbing your toe in the dark, jumping into a lego, barefoot and crashing down the stairs… yeah, I know I'm being oddly specific. It happened, laugh all you want. You can see why I don't like this exercise.

"It's an incentive to make you learn faster," grinned Tsunade as she downed a glass of sake as she watched me shakily practice over the scroll she gave me. Now I can see why time-skip Sakura was so traumatized by Tsunade's training. "Once you get that down, we'll move onto the next scroll where you have to adjust your chakra output accordingly."

Where does anyone get seals like that? Who makes these seals? _Why_ would they make such seals? Oh wait… the Uzumaki Clan are full of pranksters… Freaking trolls… wasting their time making such evil seals. It doesn't help that any seal I touch gets strengthen a bit due to my enforcer ability.

"HOLY SHI—!" The scroll blew up in my face, knocking me halfway across the room. I groaned pathetically as I pushed myself up. Now, I kind of wished that I was good at dying… Geez, I swear my hair must be sporting a fro by now.

"Get up girly. You still have other training to do," grinned Tsunade sadistically.

Why doesn't this world have child protective services? I could totally use that intervention right now.

In between bomb diffusing lessons, yes I'm calling my charka control lessons bomb diffusing, were theoretical lessons on iryo-ninjutsu. That totally went over my head. Don't forget, I technically have the vocabulary of a four-year-old in this body. So half the stuff she says I have to ask what the hell it means because my brain hasn't figured a way to translate the new words yet.

Hell, if it's anything like my old world, there's going to be a shit ton of scientific names no one gives a shit about. I have enough trouble trying to remember poisonous plants by name as is. Now I have to remember the name of every freaking bone in the human body? Children have maybe around 270 bones or so and when they grow into adults some bones fuse and the count becomes 206 bones. How the hell am I supposed to remember everything if they freaking fuse?

I sorely hope no sad bastard needs me to mend bones in the near future or they will sorely regret it. Thank god the pressure points and chakra points were less of a nightmare, they're identified by number and region like a good map that lists the streets from one to a hundred, a to z. Not the crap maps with a different name at every freaking street.

Halfway through the second week, I've managed to move onto the third bomb diffusing seal after blowing myself up a number of times, much to Tsunade's amusement. In addition to maintaining and adjusting chakra, this one requires adding chakra blocks and opening passages. This one isn't so bad once I got the first two scrolls down, mainly because it felt like the Unblock Me puzzle game. If it weren't so exhausting, I would've found it fun.

Seriously, this world has no games worth playing. Shogi and go weren't bad per say, they're similar to chess in some ways, but good lord I have no patience for such games. My brain will fry if you have me strategize over a hundred moves in advance and adjust if shit goes wrong. I'm not that smart! I'm a follower, not a leader and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

"I'm surprised you managed to get through the third scroll," said Tsunade by the end of the second week. "I was expecting you to hit the wall several more times."

I scowled, sadistic woman… She patted my head grinning at my obvious annoyance.

"Am I going to be okay now?" I asked. The reason why I bothered working so hard was to keep from turning into a mindless monster. Can't do much if your brain is on smash mode permanently.

"For the time being, it's enough, you'll have to keep up your training. The tree walking and water walking exercise will build up your control further."

I paused. "Wait, I thought you said this was supposed to help me learn how faster."

"Yes, my method is faster and you are quite skillful in your chakra control, but you still lack focus and stamina. You can't control your chakra without forcing yourself can you?"

I shook my head. She's right on that, I can control my chakra well, but it hasn't become second nature yet. In the ninja world, every split second counts in a fight.

"Work with those two and eventually, you won't even have to think about how to control it," said Tsunade with a raised finger. She made it a habit to do so if there was an important point that I must remember. "I can't promise you that it'll stop all your outbursts. It's up to you to control those on your own. If you lose focus, you'll lose yourself. Don't forget that."

Fair enough. "Do you think I could become a good iryo-nin?" I asked.

With how badly I did the last two weeks, I have a sinking feeling that becoming one might be impossible. In all the games I played before, a white mage was never my first choice or even considered for the most part, just because you can't blow shit up and kill things. Who wants to play support when there are easier roles to play? However, in this world, a healer could make a great difference because there's no such thing as re-spawning here. You die and it's game over.

"Your theoretical skills could use a lot of work," noted Tsunade as she rested a hand on her hip. "But your father could probably bring you up to speed on his time. I see potential, but unless you work hard, all the potential in the world won't help you in the least."

"Then I can start learning iryo-ninjutsu?" I asked excitedly.

"I wouldn't recommended it until you've perfected your focus and control," said the woman. I sulked. "But starting on theory shouldn't be an issue."

A dark cloud loomed over my head. I'm never going to get to learn.

"Kasa-chan, you'll get it soon enough," consoled Shizune as she patted my shoulder.

"Where are you heading next, Tsunade-sama?" asked Tesuri. No doubt, he respects the sannin greatly. She was the most highly noted iryo-nin in the world. There was no one out there that could match her skill. "If you don't mind me asking that is. I didn't expect you bump into you near Uzushiogakure. I hadn't had a chance to ask earlier since… well, Kasa's training takes priority."

The woman shrugged. "I was coming back from the hot springs in the Land of Hot Water. Thought, I stop by Uzushiogakure to see the ruins. No plans for anywhere specific yet."

"I see," nodded Tesuri pensively. "We will be heading towards the west villages that were affected by the recent war. If there's a chance of us running into one another again, I would like to have another chance to speak with you again regarding to Kasa's training regime."

The woman waved it off. "Teach her what you want. If the girl is stubborn enough, she'll eventually get it. I rather not involve myself with any more ninjas and village politics." She glanced at me. "I'd say don't get yourself involved in the shinobi world unless you're looking to get hurt. The life of a ninja is not for everyone."

I wanted to protest but she raised a finger to silence me.

"But considering who you are, I doubt you'll take my advice," grinned the woman wryly. "I hope you're ready for what's to come kid."

I grinned back. "Don't worry, I'll be able to handle it!"

In the months to follow, Tesuri and I fell into a routine. Traveling to one village to the next, stay for weeks to a month at a time to treat the sick and slip in whatever lessons he could when we weren't mobile. I spent my fifth birthday with him delivering a baby. Whoever said the miracle of life is a beautiful thing is a fucking liar and should be shot.

The birthing process is not a beautiful thing. The soon-to-be mother always screams bloody murder in pain and fear. The father, not any better, freaks out and needs a serious ass kicking to shut the hell up. By the time that baby finally comes out, it comes screaming, coated in blood mucus and whatever the hell is in the placenta. Oh and don't forget the placenta comes out too.

If I ever make iryo-nin, I am _never_ dealing with delivery or working in the maternity ward. Screaming mothers and babies, I can only deal with one or the other, but not both.

"You did well Kasa," complimented Tesuri after the delivery. "You were calm throughout the process."

No shit, as if panicking would help the situation. Only a dumbass father would panic. What a stupid—I pressed two fingers to my forehead and centered my thoughts, I lost myself and drifted again. These childish breakdowns are getting ridiculous! I can't remember ever having so many tantrums in my previous childhood.

You know why? Because my parents would've beaten the sass out of me the instant I gave them any sort of lip. That's right, it's an ass beating with coat hangers. If I was lucky, they'd use a slipper, but either way, if ever a slipper or a hanger was spotted at hand your ass was in for a beating. My former parents would've had me over their knees in a split second and spanked me to tears until I said sorry.

Tesuri's smile dropped a little at my action. I really didn't want to worry him, but it's going to be a while before I could focus without doing that thing. Tsunade was right, it did help a lot, but I can't rely on it forever.

"Thanks." I replied with a reassuring grin. He has enough on his plate already dealing with traveling from village to village to deal with the sick and whatnots. I don't need to add more grief to his life.

Three months into our trip, Tesuri had me helping for the first time in dealing with patients. Nothing major, mainly just minor cuts and scratches, first aid and stitches, the basic stuff that everyone should know. I'm not doing any diagnosis, just treatment and preparing whatever he decides to prescribe to the patients.

There weren't even any chakra or jutsu involved in these. I wasn't allowed to practice any healing techniques involving with jutsus, not with my current level of control and concentration. So far, I've only completed tree walking and moved onto water walking. My control has yet to reach an instinctive mastery.

Each attempt I made in water walking exercises always left me exhausted both physically and mentally. Often unconscious by the waterside until Tesuri or one of the villagers find me. You would think I'd take precautions being what I am now, but nope, I didn't. There was no need really, the villages were small and the villagers were mostly quiet people that kept to themselves.

Had the population been more than a hundred people, I might've been more worried, but that might be my carelessness talking. Though, I doubt I have to really worry. Tesuri generally kept a firm eye on me for the most part.

"Kasa, you need to take a break from training," said Tesuri after he found me asleep out in the open after the third time. "I know you want to head back to Konoha as soon as possible, but you're still growing and if you want to become stronger, you need to take better care of yourself."

I've heard that speech at least a hundred times by the time I managed to get water walking down. By then, another three months passed. At first, I was quite worried that it took me so long to get these basic exercises done. Sasuke and Naruto seemed to be able to get it down in a week, Sakura with even less time.

However, if I calculated my current age, the amount of useable chakra and my lack of former training, it was almost forgivable… keyword, almost. I spent the last six months since leaving Konoha dealing with the most basic of practices and I haven't even learned a single jutsu yet. Sure, I've gotten plenty of theoretical lessons on how these things should work, but Tesuri never gave me a live performance or tips on how to do them.

Well, if he won't teach me… I still had one more ace up my sleeve… quite literally. I glanced at the bandages on my arm. If I really was desperate enough, I could always consult the cheat code and see if there were any tips to how I could learn this stuff… My chakra control has gotten better. Maybe it won't be as bad as the previous times.

Let it be known, I am not the smartest crayon in the box. With a hand glowing with chakra, I slapped it on one of my bandaged arms and thought nothing more than basic iryo-ninjutsu and academy-leveled jutsu. The familiar rush of information hit me as I slumped against the wall in my room. I watched as the information flickered through my eyes.

Examples and performances played over and over by various members of the Uzumaki clan. I was almost lost in the information until, I felt myself roughly ripped from its hold.

"Kasa, what are you doing!" snapped Tesuri. His hands glowing with chakra as he gripped my arms and forced my chakra back, away from the seal.

I blinked rapidly as I willed away the lingering images. "Training?" I said dumbfounded as I touched the bottom of my nose. No blood this time. Did I get better? Or did Tesuri stop me before that happened?

"Training?" roared Tesuri. "You could've killed yourself being so reckless!"

"I had training in the sealing arts. I know what I'm doing." I argued.

"You are far from being a master in the sealing arts. You've barely got through the basics to control yourself! If I wasn't here what would've happened?" snapped the man.

"You wouldn't teach me! You wouldn't let me try!" I blew up. "I've gotten all the control exercises down, but even then you kept me to theory work! I'm sick of memorizing numbers and text! I want to learn something I could use!"

"Kasa, you're too young, your body can't handle—"

"Bull shit!" I cut him off with a snarl. "I've spent the last six months learning and practicing! I could totally—"

SLAP

I froze at the stinging feeling on my cheek, staring at Tesuri. He looked almost mortified at his own hand, as if not believing what he just did.

"You… slapped me…" I whispered.

"Kasa, I'm sorry," started Tesuri with his excuses. "I didn't mean to—"

I took a step back.

"Kasa, please…" begged the man as he took a step forward.

I took another step before turning my heel and ran with my palm pressed to my forehead, fingers won't be enough to keep my focus this time. Damn it, another one! Stay down! Stay down! I thought I got this part down already! What the hell?

Clear your mind Kasa! Stop being such a baby! You're a grown woman, so act like one! You're not going to be lucky and have Tsunade around to save your ass like last time!

"Kasa, wait!" shouted Tesuri as he caught my free arm.

I flailed and fought against him, but eventually I dropped to my knees hissing. He pulled me into his arms in seconds, pushing his hand under mine that was covering my head. A soothing burst of healing chakra pulsed into my head, forcing Isobu's demonic chakra to recede from my mind.

"Tou-san, it hurts." I whimpered.

"I know. I'm sorry," choked out Tesuri as he continued to send a steady burst of healing chakra into my head. He kept whispering reassurances over and over again until Isobu's chakra completely receded.

"Tou-san… I don't think I could keep doing this…" I murmured in exhaustion when my mind settled.

"This is just a minor setback," said Tesuri as he dropped his hand from my head. "You just need some more practice. You'll get it eventually. Remember what Tsunade-sama said?"

"…What if I'm…?" I trailed off as he held me close and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"You're Somuku's and my daughter. You're as stubborn as they'll come. Just be patient," said Tesuri.

Let's hope you're right… What's today's date anyway? That's right… it's October tenth… Three hundred and sixty-five days left…

* * *

Author's Notes: Life hit me a tad bit hard the last couple of days, won't bore you with the details. Hopefully, in the next chapter or two, she'll make it back to Konoha. Thanks for reading!


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Red Dawn Before Rain

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Fifteen: Red Dawn Before Rain**

When New Years came about it's been nearly eleven months since I left Konoha with Tesuri. Interestingly enough, in this world, their New Years follow the lunar calendar rather than the western calendar. Why I say interesting, because this world uses the western calendar, but they celebrate their New Years by the lunar calendar.

Even after six years, I still found this confusing. There's no consistency and New Years seem to land in late January or early February. I suppose the reason why they use two calendars was because they needed consistency and simplicity, but they still require the stages of the moon phase for ritualistic or traditional nonsense. I'm totally making it up? Okay, you got me on that one. I have no clue why they use both.

However, New Years here was probably one of my favorite holidays. Why? Because of the amount of delicious New Years food! I am a glutton and I'm proud! Though, I kind of miss Kushina's osechi. Her cooking was simply divine. Not that Tesuri's cooking was bad, it was still delicious as I remember from Ame and much prettier too with his presentation.

I'm getting carried away with the talk of food. Let's get back to what's going on. From when we left Konoha, Tesuri and I were making a slow and full rotation around the Land of Fire. We started east of Konoha, where the ruins of Uzushiogakure sat and made our way around the border of the Land of Fire. From Uzushiogakure, we moved past the Land of Waves, then to down towards the border to the Land of Tea, stopping at every village listed in Tesuri's mission log.

Eventually, we made our way towards west and hitting villages at the border of the Land of Rivers. The time spent traveling the southern portion of the Land of Fire while tending to the sick and injured took nearly ten months, including the various hiccups during my training that forced us to stay a bit longer till I recovered.

If we stayed on schedule, Tesuri would finish his rounds around the Land of Fire before my personal set deadline to return to Konoha with time to spare. Fortunately, the northern region of the land was considerably smaller compared to the southern territory. However, whether or not I'm ready to handle the shit storm that's to come was another story.

By now, Tesuri started my iryo-ninjutsu training. My practice patients didn't go beyond a fish. I'm not allowed to use iryo-ninjutsu on people until Tesuri cleared me. Although, I would have to question the person that would let a six-year-old perform possibly dangerous medical treatment without a question. Even so, I've managed to keep the fish alive and resuscitate it a number of times. I've nearly mastered the Mystical Palm Technique, though it's probably easier to call it a healing jutsu or a cure spell.

Tesuri was so proud. With my current reserves, I couldn't heal severe injuries, but minor lacerations and puncture wounds I could handle no problem. Can't help you if a harpoon skewers you or you crushed your internal organs. For severe injuries like those, I think the healing bite might work better compared to my current skillset.

Of course, the healing bite completely wipes out my stores and leaves a permanent scar, if my experience with Obito was any indication. I really don't want another bite mark if I could help it. Seriously, I don't want to look like a vampire's plaything that's just freaking gross.

"Kasa, we're going to reach the border of Ame soon," said Tesuri somberly as the weather fluctuated and the sun shown less. It looked like it was going to rain soon.

"Will we be okay?" I asked quietly. It's been nearly two years since we left Ame. I wonder if the civil war was still going on.

"We should be fine," noted Tesuri as he patted my head. "Just keep your eyes open and stay close to me. If you're going to train, don't go too far."

In my repertoire of skills and arsenal of tools, I learned one iryo-ninjutsu technique, partially mastered due to my current limited stamina, one healing bite technique that drains my chakra completely to work, the basic Uchiha-styled taijutsu, un-mastered, barely passable shuriken throwing skills and a string of seal charms. Of course, I only know how to use the Five Elements seal rings and none of the remaining charms.

Kushina and Minato couldn't tell me what they were; neither could Tesuri when I asked. The only way I could find out was through using the seals on my arms, but after my last stunt, I was banned from using them until I had more training and he kept a close eye on me whenever he thought I would. This was a major setback in my plans.

If I can't build on my skills or knowledge, what can I do to save them? Warn Tesuri? He's not going to believe me. I know nothing about his life that I could use as proof of my so call _oracle_ powers. Even if he believed me, what could he do? He's not even a formal Konoha-nin yet. He was still on probation.

I grimaced. Tesuri was an iryo-nin, which meant his role belonged in the sidelines and away from battle. While it's true his natural skill set leans towards ninjutsu, Tesuri's arsenal carried very little offensive techniques from what I've seen. More likely than not, he won't be able to pull off what Tsunade and Sakura manages to do with their strength. Compared to him, they fell closer to the taijutsu skill set. Odd, I know, considering most iryo-nins had the taijutsu skill set regarding use of chakra to repair and strengthen the body.

He was already at a disadvantage going into a field that's not of his specialty. Telling him was out of the question. He couldn't do anything even if he believed me. I scowled, glaring at the rain coming down. Great, I'm wet and stuck. Stupid rain, stupid border town.

I was ready to turn back and return to the village, but suddenly the rain stopped. I don't mean it stopped raining. It was still raining, but it wasn't hitting the ground.

"What the hell?" I murmured as I glanced around. Before I could decide what to make of this, the floating droplets burst into a fine white mist. Surprised, I stumbled back trying to find my way back to the village.

However, before I could take two steps, an unfamiliar voice shouted, "Water Prison!"

Suddenly, I was drowning in a sphere of water. I couldn't scream or move. Hell, I can't breath. I managed to stay awake a minute longer before I passed out from the lack of oxygen.

* * *

I have no clue how long I was out, but I didn't have the luxury to wake up naturally. A sharp jolt of chakra woke me violently.

"Get up," said a booming voice.

I coughed, hacking out the remaining water from my lungs. Hair clung to my face, as I lay on the ground wet and cold from being in the water prison. My mind was hazy as I glanced through my plum-red strands. The room was dim, no not a room, a dungeon? Where am I?

"This child is a joke, Hanzo-sama. There is no way she is a jinchuriki. Danzo must've crossed us!" declared another voice. There was a dark patch of skin covering the top right corner of his face, covering his eye.

Danzo? What does he have to do with this? I struggled to get up, but kept down at the sight of a scythe smashing down in front of my face. I stared up at the owner of the scythe and felt my heart stop. The frightening mask, the unrelenting stare, it was Hanzo. The very man Tesuri and Somuku fled from. The man even the Sannin had trouble facing even together.

Fuck.

"Tell me child, do you carry a part of the three-tailed beast?" asked Hanzo as he pulled the scythe out of the ground and rest it over my head. "Answer carefully or I might just end you here and now."

I didn't dare slip out a wisecrack. Unlike the other characters, Hanzo won't humor my lip and disrespect. He would end me here and now, giving me no chance to ever come back. His ruthlessness was scarier than any demon. My body quaked at his threat.

"Hanzo-sama, end the child. We should stop wasting time here and eliminate that rebel group Akatsuki. Once they're gone, we could take on Konoha, they're already weakened by the three-tail's attack," noted the other man.

What?

"Konoha does seem to be producing a number of nuisances," muttered Hanzo.

No! Konoha can't take another attack! Not again and not before all the essential players are born. They can't attack Konoha again. I felt my breathing hitch as my chest constricted. This isn't happening. I've screwed up.

"Those traitorous rebels have lived long enough. Once I eliminate them, this would be an excellent time to eliminate—"

"STAY AWAY FROM KONOHA!" I roared, the fear for my life disappeared as a billow of chakra escaped, blasting away the scythe.

"Hanzo-sama!" shouted the man and his guards, moving to guard their leader.

A grin crossed the man's face. "Looks like Danzo haven't lied after all. This child is a jinchuriki. Born from Ame, yet so loyal to Konoha. Tell me why is that."

"I don't have to tell anything to a warmonger like you." I snarled, dragging myself to my feet as the chakra pulsed around me angrily. "Touch Konoha and I will end you!"

"Warmonger?" bellowed Hanzo with laughter. "We live in the world of shinobi. That is a compliment, there is no such thing as peace!"

"Shut up!" I snapped. "As if I give a damn about peace! This world can burn in hell for all I care! There are people I care about in Konoha! And I'll be damned if I'm going to let you hurt any of them!"

Where did that come from?

"Such bright hopefulness," chortled Hanzo. "We'll see how long you'll last when I'm through with you."

I growled, my vision hazing again before I charged forward…

I lasted all of three seconds before he knocked me flat on my ass with a violent punch to my stomach. I coughed violently as I clung to my torso in pain. I think he ruptured something… The chakra flare from the seal died off as I dropped to the ground unconscious once again.

Not exactly an epic fight… or a fight for the matter. Seriously, did you expect me to be able to take this guy on in my current state? It took Nagato to become Pain to kick this guy's ass. No amount of foreknowledge can help me in this situation.

Akatsuki being the rebel group against Hanzo was clear of that. Even without Obito, somehow that organization still lived. I'll admit, my memory of the series is a bit scattered considering it's been five years, almost six in a couple of months, since I've arrived. I didn't dare write down anything, considering my luck someone might find it.

I know, I should write it in English or my personal short hand, but even then that's considered a code that could eventually be broken. The safest place and the easiest place were both in the mind and away from prying eyes.

Though, this does make it a bit depressing. If my changing things don't change anything for the better, what exactly is the point of doing any of this? Akatsuki still lived, which meant Madara found his way to them even without Obito and the hunt for tailed-beasts and the atomic bomb jutsu, yes, I'm calling it that, was certain in fifteen to sixteen years.

"Kasa… Kasa…" croaked a familiar voice.

My eyes snapped open to rain and ruins, all I saw was the dark raining sky. What happened while I was out? Where was Hanzo? Or… did the demonic chakra take over again?

"Kasa…" whispered the hoarse voice again.

Who was calling me? I crawled out of the rubble, dust and debris sliding off me as I moved. I could hear it so clearly. Why did these ruins looked so familiar?

"Hello?" I called out, stumbling as I got to my feet.

"Kasa, over here…" It was a woman's voice.

I nearly tripped as I ran towards the source. I knew that voice! There was a large amount of rubble in the way. I started grabbing pieces of the debris, yanking and kicking away what I could, trying to make my way through the rubble. Eventually, I found a pale hand and I doubled my efforts.

"Hold on! I'll get you out!" I said as I pulled more and more broken pieces of wood and stone from the pile, but the hand caught mine and gripped tightly. "Hey! Let go! I'm trying to help!"

"Kasa… my darling little girl," cried the voice.

I froze, finally remembering why the voice sounded so familiar. "…Kaa-san? Is that you?"

She said nothing.

"Kaa-san!" I shouted. "It's you right? Say something!"

Again, silence.

"Kaa-san, you have to let go or I can't help you!" I struggled to unlatch her hand from my arm, but to no avail it didn't budge. "Say something! Let me know you're alive."

Again, nothing.

"Damn it! Kaa-san, don't do this to me!" I shouted. "Say something!"

"…Kasa," whispered the woman weakly. "Why…?"

"What?" I said in confusion before the grip tightened. "Kaa-san! That hurts! Let go!"

"Why did you let me die?" screeched the woman. "You and Tesuri both abandoned me!"

More of the pale hand appeared as a decrepit body emerged from the ruins. A gasp escaped my lips when I saw what came pooling out as she dragged her kunai-speared body out. Calligraphy brushes, spools of thread, needles and handkerchiefs pieced and stuck to her blood and ink-stained body. Her beautiful red hair was dirty and matted with clumps of dried blood. Aside from the hand that was still grabbing onto me, almost every inch of her body was covered in oozing gashes.

"Kaa-san." I cried desperately. "Tou-san and I would never do that! What did they do to you?"

"What did you do to me, you mean?" snarled the woman. "I birthed you, fed you, loved you and fled a country for you! And you turned out to be a liar! You're not my daughter! You killed my daughter and stole her place!"

"I…" I stuttered, not knowing what to say.

"Do you think it's fun? Coming into our world as if it's a playground?" snapped Somuku.

"No, but I—"

Somuku yanked me up by the arm, face to face towards me. Glaring with those cold eyes. I wanted to cry. Never before did she ever look at me that way.

"You think because you know what would happen here and that allows you to change whatever you please?" snarled the woman. "Do you think you're god?"

"Sorry. I'm so sorry!" I whimpered.

"Sorry is not going to cut it!" snapped the woman. "You are nothing more than a monster! The reason you never tell anyone the truth because you know they will hate you! Hate you for bring the Sanbi to Konoha. To decide on whether or not someone should live or die because what you fancied."

I grew silent.

"You know you will be alone forever if you did that," said Somuku. "No matter what you do, if anyone ever finds out, they'll hate you and shun you. Even more so than the jinchuriki, you'll be forever alone here in this world."

I bit my lower lip.

"You hate being alone don't you?" hissed Somuku as she drew closer to my face. "The silence, it's maddening isn't it?"

"No…" I choked out.

"No?" drawled the corpse. "It doesn't drive you mad? Or no, please stop?"

"No…" I repeated lowly. "…You're wrong."

"Oh?" said the woman dully. "What makes you say that?"

"Because I remember how to write my name." I answered with a glare.

The corpse-like woman laughed. "You remember how to write your name? What is your name? Kasa? Kasa is a name you stolen. You're not her."

"Kasa is my name just as much as any name from my previous life." I snapped back. "This world is just as much as mine as everyone else! As long as I care for them, they'll care for me. Kaa-san said I'd never be alone as long as I remember how to write my name."

The woman clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"You're a fake!" I snapped. "And none of this is real! Kaa-san is dead and this is all a genjutsu!" I clasped my free hand to my caught hand and flared my chakra. "KAI!"

"Kasa!" Tesuri's voice broke through the illusion, his hand pressed against my head. I could feel the warm pulse of chakra pulsing through to chase away whatever genjutsu I was trapped in.

"Tou-san?" I said before I notice we were in the midst of a battleground. "What's going on?"

"Tesuri, you got your daughter, now let's go!" snapped a blue-haired woman as she shielded us with paper wings.

Wait, blue hair? Paper wings?

"Thanks Konan, I owe you," said Tesuri as he scooped me up and dashed from the battle. I vaguely spotted an orange-haired man and a red-haired man fighting against Hanzo.

However, before I could get a better look, Tesuri body flickered away from the area. I didn't know he could do that. He did say Konan right? I'm not hearing things am I?

What the hell was with my luck here? I want a freaking character reroll for better luck! Oh, why do I bother? There's no point asking about why the hell this shit happens anymore. It's the Uzumaki luck.

"Tou-san, what happened?" I asked when he seemed less tense.

"We're leaving as soon as we rendezvous with Konan and her team," said Tesuri.

"…Who's Konan?" I asked.

Tesuri grew quiet for a moment before he decided to answer. "…She was the one that tried to recruit me and your mother into the rebel faction, Akatsuki, against Hanzo. We had to leave Ame because of her."

…What?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"…It's none of your concern right now," murmured Tesuri.

One thing about Tesuri, he was incredibly tight-lipped if he wanted to be. I found out nothing from him about his interaction with the Akatsuki… this annoyed me to no end. Why the hell was Tesuri associating with them? He wouldn't even let me stay awake while he spoke to them, knocking me out with a medical jutsu. Somehow, I found myself sulking in the rain again… I hate this goddamn rain…

"Rain, rain, go away." I sung under my breath. "Come again, I'll make you pay. Don't you stray or delay. Rain, rain, go away."

"… I've never heard that song before," said an amused voice.

I jumped in surprise and quickly turned to the source. I found an orange-haired man with a familiar black cloak with red clouds. He sat several branches above me, swinging his leg idly.

"What do you want?" I grumbled, slightly uncomfortable at the sight of the cloak.

I don't understand, how was Akatsuki still around? Obito wasn't Tobi now; there was no one to convince them… Did I get something wrong? Were they going to create Akatsuki regardless of Obito? When does Yahiko die and Nagato become Pain? Damn it, why are the matters about Akatsuki so fuzzy? I could remember other details of this world so well, but this one, I can't seem to remember much at all aside from who the members were and what motivated them. Even then those were getting hazy as well.

"Nothing much, only to change the world," mused the man. "You don't have to be scared of me. I'm not going to do anything to you. I just thought you were singing an interesting song."

I stared at him, confused. "…Thank you?" I think…

"That song is a bit violent though… What's your name? I'm Yahiko,"chirped the man as he dismissed his first thought.

I stared up at him, noticing the hitai-ate on his head had four lines, but not scratched across, but I suppose that the rebels still saw themselves as Ame-nin, they just don't like their leader.

"Hmm… not the sociable type huh? Man, what's my luck in running into stoic people. As if Konan and Nagato weren't serious enough," grumbled Yahiko.

My eyes drifted to the clouds on his cloak. Red clouds, why was it always, red clouds? Akatsuki means red moon doesn't it? Or did I totally read it wrong to begin with? I thought it was supposed to be the red moon in the Tsukiyomi.

"Hey, you there?" He snapped his fingers, dragging me out of my thoughts. "I asked if you were aware of what your old man did with our group."

I shook my head placing a hand to my head. "Tou-san won't tell me anything about it."

"Well, that's mean of him," said Yahiko. "You know, your dad is actually a pretty good fighter, it's a bit of a waste for him to stick to iryo-ninjutsu."

"Huh?" Confusion crossed my face. Tesuri, a fighter? He's kidding, right?

"Though, I got to say, he's not that bad of a medic either," grinned Yahiko. "He'd saved us quite a few times already… but family above all else I guess."

"… What are you talking about?" I asked with a frown.

Yahiko grinned. "Your father was a part of our group, Akatsuki, until you were born."

…The hell? Tesuri an Akatsuki member? You've got to be shitting me. What kind of a twist is this?

"Looks like you don't believe me," sighed Yahiko.

"Why does that matter?" I asked. "If he quit already, it doesn't matter."

"Well," started Yahiko as he adjusted his perch on top of the branch. "I was wondering if you could ask your father to rejoin us. I'm not kidding about changing the world to a more peaceful place… But it's kind of hard to change anything if you die from injuries. Of course, you can come too! If you're anything like your father, you'll be a great iryo-nin and with some work, you might be a pretty good fighter as well."

Confusion set in again… The hell? He's trying to recruit us? I'm freaking five! Not as bad as four, but still pretty freaking bad! Who the hell recruits five-year-olds?

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" huffed the orange-haired man. "I'm being serious!"

Good lord, if this guy is serious, I'm Snape… Ha! Get it? Okay, not the time to be making random Harry Potter references when it wasn't even a good one.

"Why would you recruit me?" I asked cautiously. "I'm five."

It's strange, just what kind of a person was Tesuri? I always thought since he was an iryo-nin, he wasn't suitable for fighting. Never once have I ever seen him us an offensive jutsu. To me, he was always the white mage, the kind healer. Looks like I know nothing about him after all… You know, my claim of him being a closet BDSM man is becoming more and more logical with each new thing I learn. I resisted a shudder. Stay away from those thoughts Kasa.

"I'm an opportunist," grinned Yahiko. "One, you're young, but you've managed to do iryo-ninjutsu much easier compared to some adults, from what I saw anyway. Two, if you joined maybe Tesuri would come back too. And lastly… I need to recruit some girls, Konan is scary."

I was ready to face-plant into the ground right then and there. I keep forgetting there were so many characters that acted like Naruto before Naruto was around… Albeit, this one will end up dead, and the one I saved, ended up evil. You would think that someone might pick up the pattern at some point and realize, shit these happy-go-lucky idiots are fucking world changers or just outright deadly!

"What do you say?" chirped the cheery man.

"No." I rejected his offer bluntly without a second thought and continued with a childish rant, I don't want to join Akatsuki. "I'm not even an iryo-nin yet! If I join, I'm not going to be able to do anything and you're all going to bully me! You big dummy!"

"Dummy?" Yahiko sighed dejectedly shoulders slumped. "Well, I tried… If you ever change your mind in the future, we could always use an awesome iryo-nin!"

You've got to be kidding me! How desperate is this guy? I know I should take my own advice about these dangerous idiots… but I can't help it. He's a freaking idiot!

"And how would I join?" I decided to humor him after a moment.

"Oh yeah… Hmm…" Yahiko pondered over a moment. "I would say just tell anyone wearing this cloak that I gave you an invite to join… but Nagato and Konan isn't going to accept that… heck, I think they might kill you if you did."

…This guy isn't really good with recruiting…

"Oh! I know!" said Yahiko giddily.

He rummaged through his cloak before he pulled out… something… I can't tell from this distance. With a splash, he was gone and reappeared in front of me, body flicker. Interesting, Konoha-nin disappear with either a puff or a swirl of leaves. Yahiko does it in a splash… I wonder if this was an Ame thing or it's him…

"Here, give this to Konan or Nagato and said I gave this to you as an invite," said the man as he placed it in my hand.

I glanced down and noticed it was a paper moonflower and the first thing that popped into my mind was the kunoichi lessons back in Konoha. Specifically, the flower arrangement classes where we were required to memorize flowers and their meanings to use as code, it was meant for communications while under cover. I remember the moonflower specifically because it was the odd one that bloomed only during the night.

The flower meant dreaming of love… poor Konan… this idiot is giving away your confession. Good lord, she might kill me if I showed her this thing.

"I think you might want to keep it." I said handing it back to him, but he shook his head.

"No way, you're totally going to join us when you become a legit iryo-nin! It'll be fun! You hate all the fighting right? Imagine lending a hand and changing that. Wouldn't that be cool?"

I'm already changing things and it's totally not cool! It's stressful as hell!

"…Fine." I muttered, pocketing the origami flower, not wanting to bother arguing. I'm tired.

"Oh yeah, what's your name anyway? You still haven't answered me yet," said the man.

"I'm—"

"Kasa!" snapped Tesuri's voice. I flinched and turned to the source.

"Pft," sniggered Yahiko. "Umbrella? You're from rain and your name is umbrella?"

I rolled my eyes. Sure, laugh it up. Tesuri appeared in front of me with a protective hand blocking my view.

"I told you and Konan that I want nothing to do with Akatsuki," snapped Tesuri. "Those days are behind me."

"Yeah, I know," shrugged Yahiko. "We could really use your help though."

"I refuse, now leave," demanded Tesuri.

"I got it, I got it," Yahiko sighed with his hands up defensively before grinning at me. "Hey, Kasa! Take some time and think about it. When you become a real iryo-nin, you could always come join us. We have cookies!"

"Get out of here!" snapped Tesuri.

With that, Yahiko was gone. I stood stunned, staring at where he stood… I can't believe it… I was totally right! The dark side does have cookies. He totally tried to bribe me with cookies! Huh…? I wonder what cookies they have… I like raisin oatmeal.

"Kasa, are you okay?" asked Tesuri as he turned to look me over.

I snapped out of my cookie thoughts and nodded. "Just fine." I said.

"Come on, we're moving to the next village," said Tesuri as he ushered me forward.

"…Tou-san, what's Akatsuki?" I asked, wondering if I could weasel some information out of him. "He said he was going to make the world a more peaceful place. Can they do that?"

"…It's nothing you should concern yourself about," said Tesuri and he left it at that.

We returned to our previous routine… Wait… How long was I gone? Shit! Are we behind schedule? How much time is left before the Kyubi attack?

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait. I had to rewrite the chapter a couple of times… For some reason every time I hit four pages, I didn't like how the plot was going and I needed to rewrite. Thanks for your patience!


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Fighting Fate

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Sixteen: Fighting Fate**

We were behind schedule by a week and to add to my frustration, Tesuri started ninjutsu training rather than let me assist with healing the villagers. Our progression slowed even further.

"Tou-san, you can train me when we're done and back in Konoha. Let me help! I could deal with minor injuries now!" I grumbled as we stood in a clearing by a lakeside.

"No," said the man bluntly. "Not after what happened back in Ame. You are going to learn how to defend yourself. I realized I can't always be there to protect you, but I could teach you how to protect yourself."

"But I'm not going to be able to beat anyone anytime soon!" I complained. "Wouldn't it be better we get this over with and go back to Konoha? It won't be dangerous with so many people around." Yeah right, there's totally going to be a freaking demon rampaging through it soon enough.

"We're still some ways away from Konoha, even if we hurried. Stop whining and pay attention," said Tesuri.

I huffed and crossed my arms with puffed cheeks. Childish, but at least that'll keep me from cursing like a sailor.

"Pout all you want Kasa, this is for your own good. Today's lesson is going to be a bit different. I'm not going to teach you academy-leveled jutsu. At this point and time, those are useless if you are attacked by a shinobi. You won't stand a chance," stated Tesuri.

"Then what exactly am I learning?" I asked, interested peaked by the notion of learning something that's not part of the standard curriculum.

"What you're learning today, is normally meant for someone at least advanced genin-level or higher, but considering our options and your previous training. I think we could skip ahead." Tesuri reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden casing.

"What is that?" I asked, curious as he opened the casing and pulled out two small square sheets of paper.

"Chakra paper," answered Tesuri. "We're going to find out what elemental affinity you have before I start your ninjutsu lessons. Your mother and I have the same affinity. Logically, you should too, but that's not always the case. I want to check before I teach you or else it might hinder your training."

…Holy shit, I get to learn elemental attacks? This is freaking awesome! All thoughts of rushing back to Konoha slipped my mind as I pushed down the urge to skip in place in glee.

"Elemental affinity?" I squeaked in delight. "Am I going to learn how to spit fireballs or throw bolts of lightening?"

Tesuri chuckled. "Neither I nor your mother have an affinity towards those elements, so not likely."

"Poo." I blew out a puff of air. "So what affinity do you and Kaa-san have?"

"Let me show you." He grinned and lifted the square sheet of paper with two fingers. One pulse of chakra and the paper slumped over wet. Water elemental, not surprising, considering one came from Ame and the other from Uzu.

Ooh, does this mean I could possibly become a water-bender? Ooh, ooh! Or better yet! A blood-bender! That would be so freaking awesome! I know it's totally the wrong show, but how awesome is that? Turning humans into puppets and make them dance! I nearly cackled at the thought before Tesuri held the sheet under my nose.

"All right! I'm totally going to be a water-bender!" I cheered as I grabbed the paper.

"…Water-bender?" said Tesuri in confusion.

With a pulse, I charged the paper and waited…one second, two, ten…thirty…

"Uh… Tou-san I think the paper's broken. It's not doing anything." I said dumbfounded, while still charging it with chakra.

Tesuri frown as he grabbed the paper from my hand and sent another pulse of chakra into it. The paper moistened and wilted. Confused, he reached into the wooden casing again and pulled out another sheet for me to try again. I grabbed the paper again and sent chakra into it. However, it failed to respond again.

"What does that mean?" I asked in confusion. "Why doesn't it do anything? What element is that?"

"How is this possible?" murmured Tesuri as he picked up the sheet again. "I feel your chakra on this, but the paper's not reacting at all."

"What's the normal reaction?" I asked, not remembering how the chakra paper worked. I knew wind affinity splits it, but I can't remember much else.

"Normally, if your affinity is towards fire, the paper would burn. Wind would cut, lightening would wrinkle, earth would turn to dirt and crumble and you saw what water does," said Tesuri as his frown deepened. "…I don't think you have an affinity."

I sulked. Aw man, I'm not a bender of any kind! That blows, I don't want to be Sokka!

"Is it because I don't have any inclination to the basic skill sets?" I asked, depressed.

Tesuri shook his blue head. "That shouldn't be a problem, enforcer types could have elemental affinities; in fact they're quite strong with their elemental affinities."

Balls. So even other enforcers are more useful than me.

"But on the other hand," said Tesuri thoughtfully. "It means you don't have any elemental weaknesses either. You could learn any elemental jutsu without having a setback compared to having an affinity. It won't be as strong as someone who's inclined to the element, but it should be enough for you to learn what I want to teach you."

"What exactly are you going to teach me?" I asked grumpily before he placed a hand on top of my head.

"Kasa, I know you're upset, but the sooner you learn this, the sooner we can move on, okay? I promise you can help me with the patients once you've covered these," said Tesuri.

I glanced up to him. "You promise?"

"I promise," answered Tesuri. I raised a pinky, daring him to go back on his word. He chuckled and hooked his around mine and shook on it. "Now that, that's over. Let's get started."

"All right." I nodded, listening intently to his instructions.

"These shouldn't take you that long to learn, since we have an abundance of water ready to use around us. However, make note, in drier places like in the Land of Sand or even the Land of Fire, it would be harder to pull off, unless you have a ready supply of water with you."

I nodded. Makes sense, can't water-bend if there's no water.

"For now, none of the jutsu I plan to teach you will be offensive. They're purely supplementary techniques," said Tesuri.

"…But I thought a good offense was a good defense." I said.

"That's only if you have any offense to begin with," noted Tesuri. "Also, it would take too long to teach you an offensive technique when these supplementary ones would work just as well."

"I guess." I muttered.

"I thought you wanted to go back to Konoha sooner," grinned Tesuri. "I could teach you offensive techniques instead, but it'll probably take twice as—"

"No! I want the supplementary ones!" I shouted. No way, in hell, am I going to let him drag on our trip. We seriously need to get back to Konoha ASAP.

"The first one you'll be tackling will be the Hidden Mist jutsu. If you can't fight, then hide and run. If you can blind or confuse your enemies, you have a better chance of fleeing," said Tesuri. "I'll cover fleeing tactics once you've mastered this jutsu."

Surprisingly, it didn't take me all that long to get the jutsu down. It took a week to completely master it. I had the chakra and the necessary control to pull off the move, but it was ultimately the hand seals that tripped me up. A little practice remedied that issue, but it made me miss my nimble fingers from years of typing and gaming.

These stubby child fingers are slow compared to my previous one. If I tried to pull off a special combo or button mash, I'd totally lose with this body. The hair-trigger reflex just wasn't there. I wonder what can I do to regain that? Maybe learn to play an instrument? The koto looks like something that could help.

Following the Hidden Mist Jutsu, Tesuri went into great detail of the various tactics I could use when fleeing. Setting decoys, creating false leads and hiding methods. I was rigorously tested on the days we traveled between villages. He caught me five out of eight times, not bad for a beginner won't you agree?

Once I mastered the previous jutsu, the Hiding in Water Jutsu followed. A good jutsu, if there was a lot of water or rained recently, but not all that useful if the enemy figures out the puddle was you. Tesuri stepped on me quite a few times to show that it's not the smartest thing to use when I'm the only puddle around… Yeah, I'm definitely not the sharpest crayon in the box as you can tell.

However, the best jutsu of the three he taught me was definitely Hiding in Rain Jutsu. Using skills from both Hidden Mist and Hiding in Water jutsu, the required prerequisites, Hiding in Rain made it highly useful with its mobility. Unfortunately, at my current skill level, I can't use it without natural rain. I don't have the skill yet to create enough coverage for a rain shower to use it without the assistance of Mother Nature.

Although, considering we were still somewhat near the border of Rain, natural rain was not a problem. Tesuri noted that I only needed to master these jutsu while we were still near the border. Once we were cleared of having Hanzo's men pursuing us, I don't need to worry about hiding and fleeing.

Several rough weeks later, we finally left the border of Rain and made our way north, passing the border of Kusa and Taki, the Grass and Waterfall lands. From there, to make up for lost time, I dove into helping Tesuri with any and all patients that came to us for help. By the time we reached the Valley of the End, I was adept in dealing with most basic-leveled healing techniques and preparing a number of medicinal remedies.

If Tesuri decided to dump my ass in the wild right now, I think I can handle keeping myself alive until I found food and shelter. Of course, food would have to be whatever I can forage: nuts, berries and plants. I'm not particularly good at hunting or fishing and I don't really have the patience for it either. Not to mention, setting up a fire to cook the meat would draw too much attention.

By the time Tesuri cleared and passed me, summer was long over and our rotation around the Land of Fire was coming to an end. The countdown to the shit storm that was coming was maddening. No matter what I did, Tesuri wouldn't let us hurry back to Konoha.

"What is with you Kasa? You've been so desperate to return to Konoha nowadays," noted Tesuri. "You're outright jittery at times because of it."

"I-I'm not jittery!" I argued, a nervous tick twitched at the bottom of my eye as my fingers moved with a skittish flutter, desperate to do something. Maybe I shouldn't have drank all that tea, caffeine worked different with this body than my old one. In my old body, caffeine actually relaxed and calmed me, it seems like it has the opposite effect here.

"That's it, you're taking a break," concluded Tesuri.

"But I'm fine!" I shouted. "I really just need to go back to Konoha! I'll feel much better once we're back in Konoha! Let's go back to Konoha! KONOHA!"

Tesuri sighed as he placed a hand over my head and pulsed a relaxing stream of chakra into my system. My agitated nerves settled as I slumped against his hand. "No more tea or sugar for you today. You're sticking to water until you've calm down."

My eyes drooped lazily when he pulled away. "…How much longer before we can go back Tou-san? I don't want to travel anymore…" I grumbled.

"Soon Kasa, we have one more village and we can head back to Konoha," answered Tesuri as he grabbed my hand and lead me forward.

We finished with the last village at the end of September, leaving ten days to get back to Konoha before the shit storm happens. From the eastern border, the trip took at least a week if not more. We might make it back by the skin of our teeth.

Unfortunately, with all that time I spent worrying about getting back to Konoha in time, I haven't thought of a single plan to prevent anything from happening… Bad foresight, I know, but between training, healing and worrying, I completely forgot about planning something. By the time I realized this, we were at the gates of Konoha on October tenth.

"We're almost back in Konoha. How are you feeling? Excited?" grinned Tesuri in good humor.

"Y-yeah." I murmured quietly as my brain raced to recap what the hell was supposed to happen today.

Kyubi was ripped out of Kushina today and sent rampaging through Konoha killing countless Konoha-nin and ends up killing both Minato and Kushina, making Naruto into the next jinchuriki for the Kyubi. Tobi, or rather Obito, was supposed to be the instigator of this, but since he never met Madara, logically the Kyubi attack shouldn't happen.

However, Akatsuki was still around despite not having him around, so there was a possibility that the Kyubi might still get free with or with his interference. I gnawed on my lower lip as we neared the gates. Childbirth for a jinchuriki meant the weakening of the seal, making it much easier for a tailed-beast to break free from their prison. The reason why Kushina died was because of the sheer exhaustion from three things, childbirth, Kyubi breaking free and the need to chain Kyubi down long enough for Minato to seal him.

If I could stop either the Kyubi from breaking free or Kushina from expending all her energy in chaining the beast down, I could possibly save her, but what was the chance of me doing that alone? Then there was Minato. He died because he used the Demon Consuming Seal. Why can't he use the Four Symbol Seal like what Jiraiya used on me with Isobu's Yin chakra, I wasn't sure.

Maybe it had something to do with age. Both Kushina and Rin were made jinchuriki at a young age and I was sealed at even a younger age than them. Minato was at least in his thirties if not older. His chakra coils were probably too developed to handle the excess amount of chakra from Kyubi. If I want to save him, I have to stop him from doing that, but what would happen to Konoha?

My best bet was to stop Kyubi from breaking free in the first place, but how do I do that? I can't handle it on my own and who is going to trust me if I tell them about this?

"Kasa, are you okay?" asked Tesuri when my breathing became irregular.

"Yeah, fine. It's just a little hot." I lied with a rasp.

"Here, have some water," said Tesuri as he pulled out a canteen and passed it to me.

I took off the cap and knocked it back, taking a long swig. The cool water helped calm my nerves as I released a loud breath.

"Better?" asked Tesuri as I handed him back the canteen.

"Better." I agreed as we made our way to the gates.

It's late in the afternoon now the sun was about to set, which meant there were still a couple of hours at best before Kushina goes into labor if she's not already in labor. If I'm right, she might already be at the hideout. Damn it, I don't know where that is! Tesuri and I passed the gate guards and headed into the heart of Konoha. In all that time, not a single plan formed in my head. I have no fucking clue what to do!

"Kasa-chan! I didn't know you were coming back today!" said a cheery voice.

"Rin-san!" I snapped up. That's right! Konoha has a second jinchuriki. Rin and I were both trained to restrained tailed beasts and she was definitely way better than me at it. She would believe me and help! Now the problem was how to phrase it.

"Are you on break?" asked Tesuri pleasantly, starting a conversation with her as the gate guards checked our papers and identification.

"Sort of, I'm just helping Minato sensei and Kushina-san buy some supplies," said Rin.

"Supplies?" asked Tesuri with a raised brow.

Rin turned to me with a big grin. "It looks like you're going to get your little brother after all, Kasa-chan."

"I want to go see Kushina-san right now." I blurted out in a hurry.

Tesuri sighed. "Kasa, I know you're excited, but we have to report to Hokage-sama first about our return."

"That's right Kasa-chan, if you want to become a ninja, you have to follow procedures," noted Rin brightly. "Besides, I think you would want to meet our new Hokage-sama."

I wanted to open my mouth to say something, but Tesuri interrupted me.

"New?" said Tesuri in surprise. "What happened to Sandaime Hokage-sama?"

I tried again, but Rin interrupted me next.

"He retired about half a year—no, maybe seven months ago? About a year after you left," answered Rin. "I bet you'll be surprised when you see—"

"Minato-san won't be hokage for long if we don't find Kushina-san right now!" I snapped, startling both Tesuri and Rin.

"How did you know Minato sensei is…" Rin's eyes widened in understanding.

"We have to find them now, Rin-san! If we don't warn them, both Minato-san and Kushina-san are going to die!" I shouted.

"Kasa, what are you talking about?" asked Tesuri.

Rin's face paled as she looked down at me. "…When did you see this happen?"

"I can tell you on the way, but we need to find them now! It's going to break free tonight if we don't do something!" I said desperately.

"All right," said Rin as she turned. "Tesuri-san, I'm going to have to take Kasa-chan with me."

"What is going on?" asked Tesuri in confusion. "What are you two talking about? Why would Namikaze-san and Uzumaki-san be in danger?"

"Sorry, no time to explain, you can head off to check in with Minato sensei. Please tell him to find us and meet up with Kushina-san!" said Rin as she hauled me onto her back in a piggyback manner.

"But—" Tesuri never finished as she darted ahead.

"Kasa-chan, explain to me what's going on now. I'm going to head to Kushina-san and Minato sensei's apartment to see if she's there."

"I'll try…" I gnawed on my lower lip as I came up with the story on the spot. "It happened a couple of months ago when Tou-san and I were at the border of Rain. We ran into some strange shinobi wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them. The next thing I knew, I saw Minato-san on the giant frog Jiraiya-sama used during Sanbi's attack, fighting against Kyubi."

"What happened?" asked Rin. "Why was the Kyubi free? What happened to Kushina-san?"

I shook my head. "I don't know! All I saw of Kushina-san were chains enveloping Kyubi then she and Minato-san were both impaled by its claws! I really wanted to come back and warn you, but Tou-san was still in the middle of his mission and Jiraiya-sama said I should keep it a secret. I really tried my best to get Tou-san to come back to Konoha as quickly as possible."

Was that vague enough to pass as an oracle vision? I really hope so or else it's a trip to T&I for Kasa.

"It's not your fault Kasa, you did your best. We just need to go find Kushina-san and hopefully, Minato sensei will be there too when we find her," said Rin grimly as we raced through Konoha and towards the apartment.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Kushina-san! Are you home? It's Rin and Kasa!" shouted Rin, knocking on the door heavily. "Kushina-san!"

No response.

"No good, she's not home! Where could she be? She should be due anytime now," frowned Rin as she thought over our options. "Should we check the hospital? Where else could she be?"

"Did Kushina-san go to visit her friends?" I asked vaguely remembering Kushina seeing Mikoto and baby Sasuke at some point before heading off to the hidden location to give birth. "Maybe Mikoto-san?"

Rin glanced at me briefly, I'm not sure if she's trying to decide on whether or not my suggestion was an oracle vision or a random guess. "We'll check the Uchiha district," muttered Rin as she darted off again. Looks like she took it as a vision.

As we darted about the Uchiha district, we quickly made our way to the main Uchiha house before we spotted a familiar woman walking through the streets with a baby in her arms.

"Mikoto-san!" I shouted loudly, disrupting the peace, much to the annoyance of the rest of the Uchiha.

"Kasa-chan?" said the woman startled as glanced back. Rin landed a step away from her as I clung tightly to not fall off. "I didn't know you were back."

"We don't have time for pleasantries Uchiha-san. Do you know where Kushina-san is?" asked Rin desperately. "We need to find her as soon as possible."

Mikoto blinked in surprise. "I saw her about an hour ago with Biwako-sama heading towards the northern sector of Konoha. They seemed to be in a hurry somewhere."

"Can you think of where they might be going?" asked Rin.

"I can't say I do," said Mikoto with a shake of her head. "What's the matter? You two looked like you seen a ghost."

"Thanks Uchiha-san! We need to get going!" shouted Rin as she took off again.

"Come visit me when you get a chance Kasa-chan! I'm sure Itachi would be glad to see you!" Mikoto shouted after us as we disappeared out of sight.

"Northern sector, the northern sector is huge! She could be anywhere!" said Rin desperately.

"What do we do Rin-san?" I asked, worried, as the skies grew dark and the moon shown brightly in the night sky. We don't have much time left.

"Rin! Kasa!" shouted Obito voice before Rin stopped in her tracks. He dropped down from a near by balcony with a bright grin. "Hey! Where are you guys going in such a hurry? Geez Kasa, you couldn't even stop by to say high and tell me you were back?"

"Obito! We need to find Kushina-san!" I shouted. "Do you know a way we can find her?"

The former Uchiha blinked with his one eye, his other was under a squared bandage eye-patch. He refused to tilt his hitai-ate like Kakashi, saying he didn't want to look like his stoic teammate. I guess he decided to go for the bandaged look instead.

"Okay… Want to fill me in on what's going on?" asked Obito with his hands behind his head.

"We don't have time! Do you know or not?" snapped Rin, the dark-haired teen raised his hands up defensively.

"Minato sensei would probably know where she is, but he left the office ages ago. I just came from the admin office to hand in my mission report," said Obito. "What's going on?"

"Kasa-chan, are you sure it's going to be today?" asked Rin.

I nodded my head rapidly. "Positive!"

"Do you know how much time we have left before—"

_ BOOM!_

Too late. A pulse of dark chakra washed over us as the explosion took place. Screams filled the air as Kyubi crouched over Konoha snarling and flailing its tails violently under the moonlight.

"What the hell?" whispered Obito as he stared up at the giant beast. "Is that… Kyubi?"

"Kasa-chan, what happens now? Can we still save Kushina-san and Minato sensei?" asked Rin desperately.

"I…" My tongue grew numb as uncertainty set in. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" said Rin in disbelief. "What else did you see? You have to know something!"

"I don't know!" I snapped back. "I don't know what's changing and what wouldn't change! I can't control this!"

"This is not the time to be arguing!" interrupted Obito as he pushed us along. "We need to get moving and do something."

My mind ran through the limited options we had. I don't know if we could still Minato, but we still had a chance with Kushina.

"Head towards Kyubi! Minato-san is going to be there! We could get to Kushina-san if we find him." I shouted.

"Head _towards_ it? Are you crazy?" retorted Obito. "We don't even have a plan on how to deal with this and if you think you can pull of that stunt you did with Sanbi again, you're crazy!"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. Thanks Obito!" I said with a grin.

Obito threw up his hands. "Rin, tell her no!"

"Kasa-chan…" grimaced Rin, doubt clear on her face.

"Nothing is set in stone Rin-san." I reminded her, we really don't have time for doubt. "We could either let things go as they are or we change it. That's what Jiraiya-sama said wasn't it?"

Rin stayed quiet for a moment as her expression switched from troubled to sad amusement. A soft chuckle escaped her. "This is a little sad. I'm getting advice from someone half my age."

Technically, I'm almost a decade older than her, but let's just let that go for now. "Your fate changed, which means we can change Minato-san and Kushina-san's fate too. Come on Rin-san!" I urged.

"Rin, I have no clue what either of you are talking about, but please don't tell me I'm the only sensible one here!" said Obito.

"You're right," murmured Rin.

Obito sighed in relief. "Finally."

"We can change this," agreed Rin. "We can save Minato sensei and Kushina-san."

"Wait, what?" said Obito completely lost at what just happened.

"Then no more wasting time and let's go!" I shouted before Rin darted off.

"You two seriously need to explain this to me when we have more time," grumbled Obito as he chased after us.

"We'll try to get to the Kyubi as close as we can," decided Rin as we raced towards Kyubi. "I'm not exactly sure how Kakashi did this with you last time, but maybe we could—"

We made all of two blocks before two jounins stopped us in our tracks. Damn it! Of all the times why now?

"Orders are to clear all civilians away from this area! Why are you bringing a civilian child here?" snapped the older jounin.

"Never mind that, we have orders to gather all young shinobi and put them inside the protective barrier," said the other jounin.

My eyes widened. I forgot about this part! If they get us behind that barrier, we won't be able to help Minato and Kushina! Shit! How could I forget this?

"Obito! We're moving!" shouted Rin. "If they put us behind that barrier we won't be able to save sensei and Kushina-san!"

"Ah damn it!" said Obito as he bolted.

"This is insubordination!" snapped the jounin as the two young chunin darted around them.

"Get them!" shouted the other jounin.

Unfortunately, we didn't manage to get far as the two jounins used chakra-enhanced rope to tie us up and hauled us away from the battleground.

"Let us go!" I screamed and flailed, but they had a firm grip over me. Rin was beside me shouting along the same lines as me.

"You can't do this! We need to save Minato sensei and Kushina-san!" shouted the girl.

"Quiet!" snapped a stern looking man as we were tossed into the barrier. "This is not your battle."

Kakashi was already there along with what seemed like the rest of the future jounin sensei. He managed to catch both Rin and I before we hit the ground.

"Kasa? When did you get back?" asked the stoic teen-jounin as he untied us.

"Let us out!" I shouted as I ran towards him, only to bounce against an invisible barrier. "We need to help Minato-san and Kushina-san!" I pounded my fist against the barrier.

"The kid's right, what do you mean this isn't our battle?" snapped a red-eyed girl. "Father, this village is just as much as ours as yours! We have the right to defend it!"

"Kurenai," said the man firmly. "This is not war, but an internal village conflict. The life of a shinobi is short and this is not where you and your peers will die. You are all the future of Konoha, you must survive to bring about the next generation and continue the will of fire."

"I don't care about your will of fire!" I snapped. "I want to save Kushina-san and Minato-san!" I pounded the barrier. "Let. Me. Out!"

The man glared at me. "Such an insolent child. Why is this civilian here?" snapped the man.

"Sir, she was with the two chunins when we brought them in," said another. The man continued to frown.

"Make sure the barrier keeps hold," ordered Kurenai's father as he turned to leave.

In a distance I could hear the explosion of a large summon and the delighted cheers of shinobi at the arrival of Minato.

I double my efforts banging at the barrier. "Please let me out! If Minato-san faces the Kyubi he and Kushina-san are going to die! Please! Please let me out so I can help them!" I begged desperately, but none of the adults heeded my pleading.

"Kasa-chan," whispered Rin as Kakashi untied her and Obito.

"Please! Let me make something right for a change!" I begged, my pounding hands slowed against the barrier when the angry snarls of Kyubi disappeared. Damn it, Minato took him! We're too late! I dropped to my knees in tears, face pressed against the barrier as I forced back the sobs.

"…The Kyubi is gone," whispered one of the other younger ninjas.

I couldn't tell who said that, but it hardly mattered. Minato and Kushina were good as dead. Why was it every time that I try to do something for the better either I make it worse or I can't change a goddamn thing?

"Even after nearly two years, you're still the same brat as always," sighed Kakashi as he walked up behind me.

I ignored him. I'm not in the mood to defend myself or talk to anyone. What's the point? They'll know soon enough their beloved Yondaime Hokage-sama will be dead soon.

"You would think even a brat like you would grow up a bit after a long trip like that, but I guess I was being too hopeful," sighed Kakashi.

"Shut up Kakashi." I sulked, rubbing away the tears.

"Looks like Obito rubbed off on you more than I thought. You crybaby," said Kakashi.

"Hey!" retorted the former Uchiha.

You know what? I'm going to ignore this bastard! He hasn't faced the hardship of losing Obito and Rin; he wouldn't understand what the hell was at stake here! The stupid little pissant! If he ever gets into the Icha, Icha series I'm going to steal his entire stash and burn it in front of his eyes. I'm going to learn a freaking fire-styled jutsu just to shoot it in his face!

"You can still activate any seal you touch right?" asked the silver-haired jounin, cutting through my thoughts.

"Yeah, why?" I sniffled, what's with that question? Of course, I could still activate a seal at the touch of it. He knows better than anyone, I released a shit ton of his storage seals before.

"Do you still want to go save sensei and Kushina-san?" drawled Kakashi.

I snapped up at those words and whipped around to face him. In his hand was Minato's special kunai marked with the seals that was required for the Hiraishin no Jutsu. There's no doubt Minato had another one on him just like that, we could use that to track him.

"But… I don't have enough chakra to use that." I said dejectedly. I didn't dare to attempt activating Sanbi's chakra, who knows what could happen with Rin around. I might set off Isobu as well then there would be no chance of Konoha recovering.

Kakashi raised a brow. "You're forgetting our sensei is. Rin, Obito and I, we were all trained to be able activate this together. Our only issue, we can't choose which kunai we end up at. Sensei planted plenty of his special kunai throughout Konoha."

I stared at him with my mouth gapping open.

"If you can redirect us to the right kunai that would be a lot of help, I much rather we get this in one go rather than waste chakra with multiple attempts. We _are_ going to need it to save him and Kushina-san are we not?" drawled Kakashi.

I laughed wiping away my tears. Kakashi, if you weren't such a prick, I could kiss you right now!

"Are you all crazy?" shouted Ebisu. "This is going against all orders!"

"You're going to get a civilian kill," said Asuma. "Not going to look good on your record."

"That's very unlike you my hip rival!" said the bowl-haired youth, most likely Gai. "To so blatantly ignore the rules."

"Yes, it's very unlike you," agreed Kurenai.

Kakashi sighed. "Well, we all know the saying, those who break the rules are trash. However," he glanced over to Obito. "I've learned that those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."

Obito and Rin grinned brightly at those words.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," said Obito with his arms resting behind his head.

"We better hurry then," said Rin.

"Hn," Kakashi glanced over to me with a smile that resembled very much of the future Kakashi that's to come. "Shall we?"

"Yeah! Let's go save Minato-san and Kushina-san." I cheered.

Kakashi passed me the kunai as he, Rin and Obito surrounded me in a circle, much like how the Hokage Guard Platoon did so to transport Tsunade to safety in the future. Minato had passed his skill onto his personal guards in case they needed to use them in the future. I didn't think he passed it onto his students since he hadn't with Kakashi in the original timeline… but then again, Rin and Obito weren't around, Kakashi had no one to use this jutsu in tandem.

All right, enough with the compare and contrast analysis. Let's go change the future!

* * *

Author's Note: Man oh man, this is the longest chapter yet. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

**Jutsu:**

**Hiraishin No Jutsu**: Flying Thunder God Technique


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Calamity

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Seventeen: Calamity**

Hiraishin no Jutsu gives the biggest high of all time! Either that or the rush from actually being able to do something was making this thing my absolutely favorite seal of all time! If I ever get a chance, I'm totally asking Minato to make me some of these when I'm older.

From point A to B it took no more than a second. The instant the seal activated, I saw the lines towards every special kunai Minato planted throughout Konoha with a brief image of the final destination at each kunai. I'm not sure what Minato or other people see when they use this, but this thing is freaking awesome! It's like a game menu to select the battle stage.

I quickly ignored the images that led to houses and the main administrative building and shuffled through the images until I found an image of Kyubi in a mountainous wasteland.

"Found you." I whispered before the jutsu completed and dragged us completely through.

The instant we landed we were greeted by the sight of Kushina on the ground, breathing heavily as she struggled to keep hold of the chakra chains enveloping the Kyubi. Obito and Kakashi were quick to reveal their sharingan in preparation for battle and Rin was already rushing to Kushina's side to assist her. When I managed to gather myself, Minato was already in the midst of performing a jutsu.

"Minato-san stop!" I screamed, trying to stop him before he set off his jutsu, but I was too late. He completed the seals.

"What is that?" whispered Obito as he watched as an apparition appeared behind Minato.

"Reaper Death Seal!" shouted Minato. The ghostly figure behind him thrust a violent hand through his back, escaping from his stomach to latch onto Kyubi. He let out a scream as the reaper ripped away Kyubi's chakra and sealed it into his stomach.

"That's…" Kakashi's eye widened in horror and realization. "Sensei!" He screamed, racing to catch the man as he stumbled forward.

Kyubi roared in pain and fury, as it grew smaller after his chakra was sealed into Minato. It snarled and cursed violently at the blonde hokage. I quickly got to my feet as I raced towards Minato and Kushina. Rin was already by Kushina's side, adding her own layer of chakra chains to the mix to keep Kyubi from breaking free.

"Kakashi, Obito, Rin… Kasa?" whispered Minato as he righted himself. "How are you all here?"

"Never mind that! Why would you use that?" snapped Kakashi angrily. "You do know what happens when…" He couldn't even finish his words.

Minato chuckled lightly as he patted Kakashi's head. "If you know then let's not waste the little time I have left. Actually, I'm a little glad you're all here… Maybe with you here, I won't have to seal Kushina into Naruto along with the Kyubi."

"Seal…" started Obito he stared in disbelief at the altar and small bed Minato summoned. "You were going to seal Kyubi and Kushina-san into your son? Are you out of your mind? She's your wife and he's your son! Why would you do such a thing?"

Minato laughed weakly. "Sorry, I really don't have the time to explain." He turned to me briefly with a grin. "Sorry, I can't be at your welcome home party Kasa, but I got you the little brother you wanted."

"Sensei," called out Rin worriedly as she kept Kushina upright, but she was having trouble.

"Minato," wheezed Kushina as she coughed and kneeled over.

"Kushina!" shouted Minato.

The instant he moved, everything followed.

"NEVER AGAIN WILL YOU MORTALS SEAL ME!" Kyubi roared as it fought against its chains and swung its claws towards Naruto.

"Minato!" screamed Kushina.

"Sensei!" shouted his students.

Instead of screaming in a panic like the rest of them, my body moved, grabbing onto the first thing I saw… which so happened to be Kushina's chakra chains. The instant I touched them, my body instinctively knew what to do and immediately sent out a large pulse of chakra.

"WHAT?" roared Kyubi in fury and pain.

I had no clue what was going to happen when I did so, my body just moved. The chains enveloping around Kyubi thickened and tightened around the tailed-beast. Compared to the chains just moments ago, the amount leeway Kyubi had in moving was spacious, but now, he looked like someone just strung him up like holiday ham that's ready to go into the oven.

From where I stood, it looked almost as if the chains were too heavy for the beast to resist. I could feel the continuous drain on my chakra. On my own, I wouldn't be able to create these chains. The most I've ever managed were threads, but working in tandem with Kushina the chains were thicker; stronger… was this, the skill of an enforcer?

"Kyubi stopped," whispered Rin as she stared at me.

No one moved, wondering if the new chains would hold over the beast. Kyubi growled under the shackles as he tried to move, but the weight bearing down on him made it near impossible.

"Kushina," whispered Minato as he brush a strand of Kushina's red hair back and pressed his forehead against hers. "Thank you for everything."

"Minato," whimpered Kushina as tears poured from her eyes.

"Kakashi, Obito," started Minato.

The two stood erect as they listened intently to their sensei.

"From here on out, your orders are to protect Naruto and Kushina to the best of your abilities. I won't be here once the sealing is done. I'm trusting my family to the two of you. Do you think you can do this?"

"Yes sir!" replied the two of them.

Obito's eye watered with tears, but for once he didn't cry. Instead, it was Kakashi that let his tears flowed, both his eye and Obito's sharingan poured with tears.

"Rin, Kasa," said Minato as he turned to us. "What I'm asking of you is not an order from your hokage, but a favor. I would like the two of you to assist and help Kushina to the best of you power. I could tell Naruto is going to be a handful and Kushina is going to have a hard enough time as it is. Please, could you keep an eye on my son?"

"Sensei…" Rin wiped away the pooling tears at her eyes. "I will do my best! I'll make sure Naruto grows up to be a strong and healthy shinobi!"

I huffed, pressing a hand against my eye to keep myself from crying. "You're totally cheating Minato-san! You were supposed to be around after giving me a little brother! How are we supposed to con you for candy and training lessons?"

Minato gave a weak laugh. "Sorry Kasa. I really wished I could stay long enough for you return party." He grunted as he felt the reaper grow impatient. "Sorry, my time is ending soon. I have to finish this…" He wiped away a stray drop of blood from his lip and hastily summoned a small toad.

"GWA!" screamed the toad when he saw Kyubi. "What the hell Minato? Why the hell is the Kyubi here?"

"Sorry Gerotora, I don't have much time left," said Minato before the toad realized the situation and quickly unfurled the scroll on his stomach.

The blonde man made quick work in imprinting the seal onto the surface before the toad rolled up the scroll. "… I need you to deliver a key seal to Jiraiya sensei. Tell him to keep this safe until the time is right."

"… It was nice knowing you Minato," said the frog grimly before he disappeared in a puff.

Minato gave a weak sigh as his steps became unstable. Kakashi and Obito moved to help him, but he raised a hand to stop them before moving to kneel down over Naruto, who was wailing at the top of his lungs at the small bed on the sealing altar. A sadden gaze crossed his face as he lingered a hand over his crying son.

"Be strong Naruto," whispered the man before he planted his hand over the baby's stomach. "Eight Trigrams Seal!"

Kyubi roared in fury in its last moments as it was drawn into Naruto's stomach and locked away by the Eight Trigrams Seal. I watched, holding my breath, as Minato dropped to his hands to the ground breathing heavily. The instant Kyubi was gone; the chain fell limp against my hand and disappeared. Kushina had reabsorbed the chakra from the chains, looking a bit healthier than she was before. She's going to make it… right? Kakashi was by Minato's side in an instant.

"One last thing," breathed Minato with a humorous chuckle as Kakashi helped him roll into a sitting position. "Don't let Jiraiya sensei corrupt my son too much okay?"

"Minato," cried Kushina as she reached out for his hand and Minato caught hers in his gently.

"Love you, take care of Naruto…" said Minato before his eyes drifted close and the reaper sliced away his soul.

"MINATO!" screamed Kushina in anguish, as his hand grew limp in hers.

"…Sensei…" whispered Minato's three students, as they stood over his body grieving.

I stood watch as they all grieved. Somehow… I felt like I was intruding. I didn't deserve to stand here to share this moment with them. I failed to stop Kyubi's release. I failed to save Minato. I gnawed on my lower lip. I barely did anything.

I watched as Kushina grieved over her husband's body. I watched as Rin did her best not to cry as she healed Kushina's injuries. I watched as Obito covered his only eye to keep himself from crying. I watched… as Kakashi's sharingan change shape.

Minato's death triggered the Mangekyo sharingan. It's really sad that the sharingan required such a sad and painful method to release its full potential. My eyes drifted over to Naruto's crying form. With everyone grieving, the poor thing was left crying his little heart out. He must be feeling lonely. I felt numb as I dragged my feet towards him. He was completely bare without a strip of clothing on him.

"Shh." I whispered gently as I carefully cradled his neck and drew him into my arms. "It's okay, you're not alone. You won't be alone. You'll have a ton of people around you this time. I promise."

His crying didn't cease, if anything it grew even louder. He didn't want my comfort. He wanted his mom and dad's. I don't belong here. I wrapped him in my arms the best I could before I moved over to where everyone grieved.

"Kushina-san… I think he wants you." I said quietly before she looked up at me through tears. This must've been a tough night for her, giving birth, getting Kyubi ripped out of her and losing her husband all in one swift moment.

"Naruto," cried the woman as she reached out for her baby. I carefully handed Naruto over to his mother before I took a step back.

At least, I managed to stop Kushina's death. This time, Naruto won't grow up alone here. He'll only grow stronger and better. I'll end anyone who tries to take that away from him.

"Kasa-chan? Are you okay?" asked Rin when the silence grew.

I blinked away the thoughts as I grinned sadly at her. "I'm fine, will Kushina-san be okay? She's not too bad off is she? I could let her bite me if that's the case."

Rin shook her head. "She'll be fine after a week of rest, as long as she doesn't try anything strenuous with chakra. Her stores were nearly depleted. If you hadn't done whatever it is you did with her chains, I don't think she could've made it."

"Oh good… I didn't know if it was going to work." I murmured as I swayed with each step I took. "…Too bad I couldn't save Minato-san as well. I really wanted to. I should've been faster."

"Kasa-chan?" questioned Rin worriedly.

If she said anything after that, I didn't hear it as the world spun and I landed face first into the ground. Looks like I overdid again. Who knew reinforcing chakra chains could be so exhausting.

* * *

"Awake?" asked Tesuri when I regained consciousness.

"Yeah." I rasped out, staring at the familiar ceiling of Kushina and Minato's apartment. A pleasant surprise, I expected to wake up in the hospital again.

"The hospital's full," noted Tesuri as if reading my mind. "Anyone who wasn't severely injured was to stay home and rest. Uzumaki-san offered to house us since the nearby hotels were all trashed during Kyubi's attack. She and Naruto are resting in the other room."

Hers and Minato's room…

"Ah…" I hummed out in confirmation.

"…You knew this was going to happen. That's why you wanted to come back so desperately," said Tesuri.

I said nothing. I did a poor job in hiding my foreknowledge in the panic of trying to save Minato and Kushina. Whatever I'm going to get for this, I'm ready. T&I? I'm not scared. Let them try to torture the information out of me. The only thing they'll get is a bad improv rendition of every song I know.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Tesuri.

"…You wouldn't have believed me." I murmured. "…If you did, you wouldn't let me come back to Konoha."

Tesuri grew quiet. "…You really do love Uzumaki-san don't you?"

"I'm not replacing Kaa-san." I said tiredly. I really don't want to start this insecure argument again.

"I'm not saying you are," said Tesuri. "I just wish you would trust me enough to come to me for help."

I said nothing, he was right. I didn't trust him.

"I told everyone I was the one that told you Minato-san and Kushina-san was in danger," said the blue-haired man.

I blinked, turning to him in surprise.

"I spoke to Sandaime Hokage-sama while you and Rin-kun were off looking for Namikaze-san and Uzumaki-san," said Tesuri. "I warned him that someone was after the jinchuriki in Konoha and that they might be in the village already. I told him, I accidentally let the information slip around you and you were running about trying to stop everything on your lonesome with the help Rin."

"But how? Why would you…?" I trailed off in disbelief.

"Uzumaki-san made it quite clear when I was here last time in Konoha that she was jinchuriki and that she was more than capable enough to train you to handle your new status," started Tesuri. "The fact that Rin-kun looked so distraught at your news told me it was something bigger than what a jinchuriki and a hokage could handle."

I gapped at him.

"Since you haven't spoken to Rin-kun or Uzumaki-san for nearly two years. It couldn't have been something you spoke about before you left. What's more, your anxiousness over the last several months only started after our trip in Ame after you were kidnapped. I put it off as the stress from the genjutsu they've placed you under for over a week, but that wasn't it," said Tesuri.

How did he manage to piece it together? I didn't let anything slip during the whole trip with him!

"For the longest time, I couldn't understand why you could be so at ease with people you've never met before in your life, strangers that were shinobi and dangerous on their own right. Obito, Tsunade-sama and even Yahiko," murmured Tesuri. "It became clear when we came back to Konoha and you spoke with Rin-kun," murmured Tesuri. "You act the way you do because you knew. You don't always, but the times you do, you face it head on with a look as if the weight of the world was on you."

I was speechless. I always thought, one of these days a Nara would be the one to oust me, but never did I expect Tesuri to be the one to figure me out on his own. What else was there for me to say?

"Kasa, I'm your father. I know I don't look like much most of the time, but I'm not blind. I watched you grow and get stronger and stronger everyday. I watched as you pushed yourself during training, forcing yourself to get better at everything you learn." He placed a hand on my cheek. "As if, if you didn't the world could come crashing down all around you. I could see how desperate you are, knowing what could happen, what would happen."

"Tou-san…" I whispered weakly.

"I know I can't take that weight off you, but _please_ let me help lessen it," whispered Tesuri desperately. "Even if it's to take your place in the hands of T&I, I could take any torture they dish out. I don't want to see you go through that if they knew of your knowledge. You don't have to take on everything yourself. You have me. I'll always be here for you."

"Tou-san…" I curled up on my side, grasping onto his hand and pressing my face against it. My body shook as I held back the sobs. "I tried so hard. I tried so hard to save Minato-san, but I couldn't."

Tesuri rubbed my back as I let out my sobs. "You did your best Kasa. No one will blame you," whispered the man.

We stayed in silence, with me shaking with quiet hiccups and Tesuri rubbing my back in soothing circles. I had no clue how long we stayed like this, but eventually I drifted off to sleep. I found out later, Tesuri had gone off to help the relief efforts at the hospital while I slept. I slept for hours, exhausted from the excitement and expending my small reserve of chakra.

Fortunately, Kushina hadn't needed the healing bite, because I don't think it could've healed much after spending so much chakra in reinforcing her chains. I slept for hours, obliviously unaware of the political shit storm that was to come.

* * *

Three days after the Kyubi fiasco, Tesuri along with all that were present at Minato's death were summoned to a private council meeting with Hiruzen and his advisors, Koharu, Homura and Danzo. I'm already cringing at the conversations to come.

Kushina was seated in a wheelchair holding Naruto, as she hasn't recovered completely from giving birth and suffering Kyubi's violent extraction. Kakashi and Obito both stood protective on each side of her as if challenging anyone that dared to bring harm to their sensei's wife. I stood quietly behind Tesuri, while clinging onto Rin's hand, trying to make myself invisible.

"I'm quite sure everyone had a trying couple of days since Kyubi's attack and we all want nothing more than to put this behind us," started Hiruzen civilly. "Unfortunately, we still have to clarify what brought on this attack in the first place."

"It's obvious that the jinchuriki here cannot control the beasts as well as we thought," snorted a heavily bandaged man. No doubt, he was Danzo. Come on, I dare anyone to bet against me saying he's not.

"Danzo, may we let those who were present, clarify?" interrupted Hiruzen. Danzo stayed silent as if indulging the old man. "Kushina, if you may?"

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," nodded Kushina. "Shortly after giving birth to Naruto, Minato was about to reinforce my seal, but just as he was about to do so, a young man donning a fox mask appeared, killing Biwako-sama along with the ANBU stationed at the hideout."

Fox mask? I kept the frown off my face. Who the heck wears a fox mask in this series? The only time a fox mask ever appears was in fanfics and usually either Kushina or Naruto had sole use of it if they were in ANBU. Who the heck did Madara recruit?

"I wasn't able to see much of the fight between him and Minato, but the little that I managed to glimpse, the young man was capable of redirecting jutsus," said Kushina.

Redirect? Does she mean reflecting attacks? Who the heck reflects attacks here? Tobi had attacks faze through him, this guy outright reflects them. If Minato didn't have Hiraishin, he could've died if he couldn't dodge.

"The young man also seems to be using an old gunbai as a weapon," continued Kushina.

The eyes of the elderly council widened at the statement. Danzo in particular was very interested.

"Are you certain the young man was using a gunbai as a weapon?" asked the old woman, Koharu.

"I'm certain," nodded Kushina. "After he tore through my seals and extracted Kyubi, he used the gunbai as a means to control him."

"Do you know if there were any other distinctive traits on this man?" asked the elderly man, Homura.

Kushina grimaced. "He had the sharingan… claiming he was Madara Uchiha."

"Preposterous," snorted Danzo over the gasping breaths of Koharu and Homura. "Everyone knows Madara died at Valley of the End after his fight against Hashirama-sama. This imposter is likely someone in the Uchiha Clan planning a coup against the village."

"With all due respect Danzo-dono," interrupted Kushina, her voice cold. "I don't believe it's someone from the Uchiha Clan. Never before have I've seen anyone exhibiting such skill in fighting against Minato and especially not in the sealing arts."

"However, you've also stated you have not seen much of their fight," noted Danzo. "If you claim it's not someone within the village, then who do you think is the culprit?"

"I don't know," answered Kushina. "But I don't believe the Uchiha Clan would betray the village as willingly as you believe."

"Then an outsider?" challenged Danzo as he glanced over to Tesuri and me. "My intel tells me it was the outsider jinchuriki that first declared you and Yondaime Hokage-sama were in danger. How do we know it's not her that brought this attack on us? Her lack of control over Sanbi's chakra in the past might've been a ruse for her to attack Konoha. Since she was ejected from the village that happened, she schemed with another to release the Kyubi instead on our village."

"Danzo-dono," interrupted Tesuri. "Please keep your insinuations to yourself. I've made it quite clear when I returned earlier that evening that Kasa had ran off on her own to find Yondaime Hokage-sama and Uzumaki-san when she found out, _from me_, that they were in danger."

"And you are not in any better of a situation Tesuri Mon, you are still under a probation period and are not considered an official Konoha shinobi," countered Danzo. "If you claim that the jinchuriki has no affiliations to this event, then do you take full responsibility of the chaos that befell on Konoha?"

"My daughter has a _name_, please refrain from referring to her as a jinchuriki," grounded out Tesuri. "Furthermore, it was not a fault of either of us. I've already explained myself when I warned Sandaime Hokage-sama of the situation."

"Yet, what proof do you have? We only have your word and yours alone. How can we confirm anything you say if you've betrayed your previous village?" noted Danzo. "Your words mean nothing."

"I denounced my village the moment they turned on me and my family!" retorted Tesuri, fuming at the accusations. "I sworn loyalty to Konoha because its shinobi was gracious enough to keep my daughter safe when I was not able to, but if this is how we will be treated I—"

"That is enough!" interrupted Hiruzen with a booming voice. "Both of you settle down, this meeting is not meant for laying blame on anyone. It is for the clarification of what happened on the day the Kyubi attacked. If neither of you can keep a civil tongue, I suggest you both stay silent!"

Danzo turned up his nose distastefully at his words. "I was only looking out for the wellbeing of our village."

Tesuri took a deep breath as he calmed himself. "I apologize Sandaime Hokage-sama, I was out of line."

Hiruzen sighed in annoyance as he puffed on his pipe. "Kushina, if you could, please continue."

Kushina nodded, glancing at Tesuri with an apologetic gaze. "The masked-man tried to kill me using Kyubi, but Minato came to my rescue and took me to a safe location that later he brought the Kyubi to, for us to reseal him. I'm not sure what happened to the masked-man, but Minato must've drove him off."

"Currently, you're no longer Kyubi's jinchuriki," noted Koharu. "Sandaime noted Yondaime sealed the beast into your son, correct?"

"That is correct ma'am," agreed Kushina.

"Is the child a hazard to the village at this point and time?" continued the woman as she turned her gaze to me. "Or will we have a repeat of what happened with this child nearly two years prior?"

I resisted the urge to shrink behind Rin. Situations like these were not my forte. I'm utterly terrified of opening my mouth at the chance that I might say something stupid and screwing everyone over.

"Minato placed an Eight Trigram Seal on Naruto," explained Kushina. "Compared to Kasa's Four Point Seal, his seal is considerably stronger in keeping in Kyubi's chakra. The only reason why the Four Point Seal was used on Kasa rather than the Eight Trigram Seal was because she needed the extra chakra to survive the severe case of chakra exhaustion. Sealing off that chakra completely at the point and time would've been counterproductive and ultimately lead to her death."

"And if the seal keeping Kyubi fails?" challenged Danzo. "Who would be able to control the beast? You?" waved the man. "You barely survived the event as it was."

Kushina glared back. "You're right, I won't be able to tame Kyubi on my own."

"Even the former jinchuriki agrees with me," smirked Danzo. "I say we take the child into custody and start training him as soon as possible. If we could ingrain absolute loyalty now from the child, we could eventually have him as the village's wea—"

"Danzo-dono," grounded out Kushina, almost growling at his words. "Please allow me to finished."

The bandaged-man looked vexed that she dared to interrupt him. However, before he could say another word, Hiruzen gave a loud cough warning him to stand down.

"Thank you," said Kushina graciously. "As I was saying, I alone cannot tame Kyubi. However, with some assistance I could very well tame the tailed-beast with no problem."

Homura raised a brow. "Assistance? Who exactly do you have in mind? I don't recall us having a shinobi capable of doing such a feat, not since Hashirama-sama."

"We don't," agreed Kushina, drawing more confusion from the council. "At least not yet," grinned the red-haired woman. "She still needs to pass the genin exam and go through a ton of training, but I think Kasa would be able to help tame Kyubi if ever he breaks free again."

Say what now? I stare at her with wide eyes in disbelief. What the hell are you talking about woman? I can't tame the freaking Kyubi! I'm not even worthy to be considered a snack in his eyes!"

"Me?" I said in disbelief.

"…I'm sure you have an explanation?" noted Hiruzen before anyone could voice out their objections.

"When Minato was about to seal the Kyubi, it was ready to lash out to kill Naruto before he manages to seal him away," started Kushina before she turned to me with a grin. "Kasa here did something unexpected. She managed to grab onto my chakra chains."

"And?" drawled Danzo, unimpressed.

Kushina smirked. "Those chains had enough chakra to burn any new graduate genin and even some chunin. Not only did she manage to touch them without getting harmed, she reinforced it. Enough to _chain down_ the Kyubi."

The pipe dropped out or Hiruzen's mouth as he turned to me. "Is that true child?"

"…Y-Yes?" I squeaked out at the sudden attention that was directed on me. That's the right answer right?

Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully as he digested the information.

Danzo growled. "You're not really contemplating in trusting a _child_ with the responsibility of dealing with a sealed beast. Not just any beast, the _Kyubi_." He turned to me with a glare. "Not to mention, she's not a Konoha citizen. She's a child from Ame."

Okay, I had enough of this asshole.

"I don't like Ame!" I snapped. "They're mean people who kidnaps you and threatens to kill you if they don't like what you say!"

"Kasa!" hissed Tesuri warningly.

"Kidnapped?" voiced out Koharu. "What do you mean by kidnapped, child?"

"Let me explain!" interrupted Tesuri quickly. "When we were passing the borders between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain, Kasa was briefly abducted by Ame-nin."

"Abducted?" said Danzo in outrage. "You brought an abducted jinchuriki back into the heart of Konoha? She could've been turned into a sleeper agent for all you know!"

"Danzo!" snapped Hiruzen. "Keep your tongue. You may voice out your objections when they are finished with their story."

"This is nonsense! They're both originally form Ame, both of them could be spies!" snapped Danzo.

"Danzo! This is your last warning if you do not cease now," warned Hiruzen.

"They will cross us!" countered Danzo.

"Cross us?" I murmured with a frown, something about those words sounded familiar.

"She's an outsider, a jinchuriki, she will cross us," repeated Danzo.

"Cross us." I repeated again, my head tilted as I tried to remember.

Hiruzen and Danzo continued to trade heated words as I shuffled through my memories. Something about that sounded familiar.

"Kasa-chan?" whispered Rin quietly when I placed a hand over my mouth trying to focus on my memories. "Are you okay?"

"…She's a jinchuriki. Danzo must've crossed us." I said the words slowly.

"What did you say?" asked Rin, kneeling down trying to get my attention.

"There's no way she's a jinchuriki. Danzo must've crossed us." I repeated, slightly louder this time before it finally clicked in my head. "There's no way she's a jinchuriki! Danzo must've crossed us! That's what they said when they woke me up!" I shouted loudly, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" said Danzo evenly.

"When they woke me up after kidnapping me, that was what they said! _There's no way she's a jinchuriki. Danzo must've crossed us!_ They kept asking me if I was a jinchuriki sealed with Sanbi's chakra. They said Danzo promised them a jinchuriki!" I shouted loudly, not giving the man a chance to interrupt again.

"Be careful what you say child. Slander is—"

"The man Hanzo said he was going to attack Konoha after he dealt with the rebels in Ame because the village was already weakened by Sanbi's attack! He said Danzo was going to help them!" I pointed to Danzo. "It must be him!"

"This child is speaking nonsense, as if I would ever betray Konoha," waved off Danzo.

I'm totally lying my ass off here about the later bits, but every lie was always stronger with some truth in it.

"That is a serious claim child, do you have any proof?" asked Homura.

I paused, the confidence behind my declaration suddenly deflated. "…No." I muttered. Shit, I don't have proof! Wait! Wait! I got it! "But no one else should know I'm a jinchuriki! Jiraiya-sama, Kushina-san and everyone made sure to keep it a secret! I didn't even tell my friends! Who else could've told that man Hanzo that I was a jinchuriki."

"Hanzo?" repeated Hiruzen. "You're certain that was the man that said this?"

I nodded rapidly. "He had a weird mask and this giant scythe thing and he was super scary! He started talking about eliminating things and, and!"

By this point, it was all word vomit and I don't think I made all that much sense even to myself. I think Rin had to cover my mouth to make me shut up after a while.

"I see… This is very alarming news," noted Hiruzen.

"Don't tell me you believe this child," drawled Danzo. "She doesn't belong to the village."

"Pardon me for interrupting," said Kakashi as he spoke up. "I would like to input my thoughts on the matter."

"You have no place—" started Danzo, but Hiruzen raised a hand to stop him and allowed Kakashi to continued.

"In my observation of Kasa Mon since her arrival here nearly three years ago, I've seen her done many things benefiting the village more so than most shinobi in Konoha," started Kakashi. "Before arriving at the village, she along with her father has already saved one of our shinobi, Obito formerly of the Uchiha Clan and she had earned the trust of Kushina-san, Yondaime-sama's wife and trusted companion before she even enter the gates of Konoha."

Danzo frowned lightly at his words.

"And during the course of her stay, she have also earned the trust of Yondaime Hokage-sama, the man who recently sacrificed himself for the safety of the village. In addition, she has also assisted stopping both Sanbi and Kyubi in the past and recently several days ago," stated Kakashi.

Danzo closed his eyes as the silver-haired jounin stared back at him; he knew how to play this game of politics.

"Regarding to that," continued Kakashi, much to Obito's glee. "She also freed Rin from the control of Sanbi when she was turned into a jinchuriki against her will and used to decimate the village from within. While there are no physical record of her past deeds, I do believe that Kasa Mon have done a great deal in protecting and benefitting Konoha."

"Hey! Don't forget, she left Konoha for two years to train up, so Sanbi's chakra wouldn't act up while she's in Konoha!" added Obito. "She's doing everything she could to keep it safe and she's even training to be an iryo-nin! How could you say she's a threat to Konoha?"

"During the entirety of Kyubi's attack, Kasa-chan was also quite adamant in us going to save Yondaime Hokage-sama," continued Rin. "I'm willing to vouch for her as a fellow jinchuriki of Sanbi."

"And I as well, as her kin. Kasa is also a descendent from the Uzumaki Clan. And we of the Uzumaki Clan are _loyal_ to the village we serve," grinned Kushina as she added her last two cents to the pile of praises Team Minato have already placed in front of the council.

I could see Hiruzen resisting a smile at our presentation. Danzo opened his eyes a moment later after Kakashi was finished.

"What about him?" stated Danzo as he waved towards Tesuri. "He is not an Uzumaki nor does he have a notable sponsor to vouch for his loyalty to Konoha. He could very well be using the child as a front to hide his real objective."

"I could gather a list of signatures from civilians to jounins I've assisted in the past three years if you wish for confirmation of my deeds. A good number of them are from notable clans, such as the Hyuga, the Akimichi and the Uchiha just to list a few. Furthermore, I've recently finished my rounds around the Land of Fire assisting every village that lent a hand in helping Konoha during the previous war," stated Tesuri, almost annoyedby Danzo's last-ditch attempt in screwing us over.

How the man managed to keep so calm after all this, I have no clue.

"To be fair," continued Tesuri. "I think someone should look into the claims of Danzo-dono collaborating with an enemy village to clear his name. It really was rude of my daughter to say such slander about a man such as yourself Danzo-dono."

Ooh, well played there Tesuri, well played. Making it sound like you're trying to clear his name rather than outright saying the bastard's a traitorous douchebag. Who knew the man had a hand at playing this game.

"Very well, I will have someone look into that matter," agreed Hiruzen. I swear his eyes were twinkling like Dumbledore. "We must clear up this misunderstanding."

"Of course, that would be prudent to do. Once the village is on its way of recovery," agree Danzo, as if he had nothing to hide.

Damn it, does nothing phase this man?

"I do believe we've cleared up the matter on what happened the day Kyubi attack. Shall we move on to the next matter?" noted Hiruzen at the heaviness of the air in the room.

"The next matter?" asked Kushina. "I thought this meeting wasn't to put blame on anyone. What's the next matter?"

Hiruzen sighed as he folded his hands in front of his face. "It's concerning the identity of Naruto."

We all stiffened.

"What about Naruto?" I asked immediately.

"As you already know, there's a negative stigma brought on by Kyubi's recent attack. Many of the villagers have already voiced out their desire to eliminate Kyubi's jinchuriki to stop another attack from Kyubi to occur again."

"Hokage-sama!" started Kushina, but the man raised his hand to stop her before she can voice out her complaints.

"I've have decided on a law to keep all Konoha jinchuriki, both former and current safe from the villager's wrath, if anyone dares to attack any of you unprovoked, they will be punished severely. The law will be effective immediately on announcement after Minato's funeral proceedings," said Hiruzen.

"If that's the case, what's there to discuss about Naruto?" asked Kushina with a frown.

"I would like to have him under your name instead of Minato's," said Hiruzen.

Confusion set on Kushina's face. "I am honored Hokage-sama, but why not Minato's name? Him being Yondaime Hokage-sama should deter the villagers."

Hiruzen shook his head. "As you all already know, Minato have created quite a name for himself in the previous war. With him gone, his old enemies might be tempted to kidnap Naruto and extract revenge on him for what he done," said Hiruzen.

"So, this is about his safety right?" asked Obito.

Hiruzen nodded. "However, that's not the only thing we need to discuss. There is no doubt, that you've already heard some whisperings spreading amongst the villagers about Naruto's status as a jinchuriki. I would also, like to add a ban on anyone revealing his jinchuriki status until he is deemed ready to handle Kyubi's chakra."

I tilted my head in confusion when he looked at me.

"After seeing what Kasa here gone through previously, I don't believe it would be the best idea for Naruto to know about the power that resides inside him. Furthermore, despite not having many people know about her jinchuriki status, we've already seen examples of biasness towards her." He glanced briefly at Danzo to make a point. "I don't think it would be fair to Naruto if all his peers were to treat him with similar biasness. Don't you agree?"

Kushina reluctantly nodded. "I really do want him to know being a jinchuriki is an honor, not a curse, but I could understand your concern. It probably is best that none of his peers and the future generations know about this."

"If I may be prompt," interrupted Danzo. "Even if we are to go with every plan that is noted here today, I must voice my concern about the current jinchuriki child that have yet become a Konoha shinobi."

Obito growled, ready to lash out at him, but Kakashi raised a hand to block him, keeping him from voicing out his complaints.

"If she is to be trained to restrain a jinchuriki such as Kyubi, I do believe she needs more special training than what the Academy offers. With her gone for nearly two years, no doubt, she's behind on the Academy curriculum," noted the man.

I frowned, not likely where this conversation is going.

"I suggest the jinchuriki should get a personal mentor rather than a jounin sensei and genin team. Those would be too much of a distraction for her," said Danzo as he eyed me calmly.

I tensed up. Damn it! He's going to try to drag me into ROOT with an apprenticeship! I'm not sure if it's been disbanded yet, but I don't doubt the bastard would find some way to keep that thing running in the background like bad spyware.

I clung onto Rin's hand tightly and glanced at her desperately, hoping she could read my mind. At a brief glance, I'm not sure if she understood my plight, but she got something as she spoke next.

"I don't think it's wise to separate Kasa-chan from the potential teammates she might work with in the future," interrupting Rin. "True, she would probably learn much faster with a mentor rather than a normal jounin sensei, but at the same time, I do believe she needs the experience with working with others. As Danzo-dono noted, Kasa-chan have been gone from the village for quite some time and she needs to return to the Academy in order to reconnect with those that may become her comrades."

Thank you Rin! I smiled up at her in relief.

"You cannot deny that she is behind," reinforced Danzo. "If we waste time with putting her through the Academy, she might end up wasting her time for years rather than spending it more productively."

I could feel the sparks in the air as everyone fought to have their voice heard and their decision chosen. I really don't want to end up in Danzo's hands. Who knows what the hell he's going to make me do! He might just brainwash me and turn me into Kabuto or something!

"They're all very sound suggestions," noted Hiruzen as he spoke up, stopping any argument from starting up again. "How about we place a time limit?"

"Time limit?" I frowned.

"If Kasa can graduate within the next year, she will join a genin team with a jounin instructor," said Hiruzen impartially. "If she cannot graduate within the next year, a mentor will be selected and Kasa will take on an apprenticeship instead. Does that sound fair?"

"A full year?" sneered Danzo. "That'll be time wasted if she can't catch up! Three months, that's when the next genin exam is being held."

"You can't expect her to graduate that quickly!" snapped Obito. "She's been gone for so long! It's not fair to give her that little time!"

"I agree, time is unreasonable for someone that has no prodigal inclination," stated Kakashi. "She should be given multiple attempts at taking the exam rather than just time."

Oh thanks for the compliment Kakashi, you stupid prick. Just because I'm not the smartest crayon in the box, doesn't mean I'm a dumbass!

"Enough," stated Hiruzen when it seemed like another argument was about to start. "Kasa may have up to three tries in the genin exams with the next year. If after three times or she passes the one year time limit, she will get a mentor instead. The matter of mentorship will be dealt with in a year's time if she fails to graduate."

Shit… I have one year and three attempts. If I fucking screw up, Danzo will find a way and own my ass! Hell! Can't I get a break for a change? I just got back!

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, this chapter is the longest one. Whew, I didn't know political battles took so much longer to write than physical battles. I know you're all dying with questions. Who is the new guy claiming to be Madara? What will happen to Naruto in the coming years? Will Kasa be able to pass the genin exams within the next year? And what the hell will her reunion be like with the rest of her friends? Find out next time in the coming chapter! Thanks for reading!

**Vocabulary:**

**Gunbai-** A wooden fan that's used mainly by samurais to command their troops. However, it is the choice of weapon Madara used in the manga.

**Dono:** An honorific, much like sama, dono is an archaic honorific and usually used similarly like lord so-and-so. Used here, it's polite, but no necessarily a term of respect concerning the group.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Academic Cramming

Author's Note: Minor edit in the previous chapter. Danzo's a hard man to write and I don't think I was doing him justice in the council meeting. Aside from that, enjoy!

* * *

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Eighteen: Academic Cramming**

My first month back in Konoha was hell. Why may you ask? Oh, it has nothing to do with Kyubi's rampage over the village or the countless construction work sites I assisted. Hell, it doesn't have anything to deal with the stress of graduating within the year or the threat of Danzo looming over my head. Those I could deal with. What I can't deal with was…

"Naruto! Please stop crying!" begged Kushina desperately, haggard from caring for the fussy infant.

It wasn't as if we left her on her own. Kushina was far from alone Rin and I both took turns helping her out during the nights so she could have some rest, but Kushina was a new mother and has little to no experience in how to take care of children. She's not a bad mother, just not an experienced one.

It was obvious she has never taken care of a child for more than a couple of hours at a time and never once had she dealt with a newborn. I wonder what it would've been like if Minato was still around. Would they both be headless chickens like Kushina was now? Or would Minato have faired better?

No clue and not likely I would ever find out, so let's not venture into the emo-zone, that should be left to the Uchiha. They're way better than me at being emo. I don't know how they do it. I get tired of it after two days. I know I sound kind of heartless, but knowing my defense mechanism, I'll break down once I have some time to do so.

Way too many things to worry about and not enough time for me to waste it on crying, I've already reached my crying quota for the next couple of months. More importantly, I have to go save Kushina from Naruto before she has a mental break down. Geez, I hate dealing with new parents.

If a newborn cries, it's one of three things. They're hungry, they're dirty or they're sleepy. Cure all three and they'll sleep until the next feeding or diaper change. How exactly was that hard? Okay, fine I have way more experience in this than her. I've practically helped raise and care for a good number of my nieces and nephews in my previous life, making me no stranger to diaper changes and bi-hourly feedings.

I could just take over and help Kushina with everything, but the issue that's gotten me so stressed was that I think Kushina might be a tad bit overprotective. With Minato gone and Naruto being such a difficult child, Kushina was beyond stressed and maybe a bit paranoid. She'll let Rin and I get close to the baby, but if Kakashi, Obito or Tesuri even tried, she turns almost rabid as if terrified that they might take him away. I hope its only temporary, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

"Kushina-san, I think he might be hungry, why don't you feed him?" I suggested before her tired eyes looked up at me almost grateful at the reminder.

Another thing I seemed to notice after helping Tesuri deliver so many babies, it takes quite some time for mothers to gather their wits back. Not sure what causes the drop of common sense from the childbirth, but it seemed very common among civilians. Kushina was the first shinobi mother I dealt with, I have no clue what the norms were concerning kunoichi mothers.

Tesuri and Rin gave me tips on how to handle her if things get hectic, but for the most part Kushina was reasonable…

"Kasa-chan! He won't eat! What's wrong with him?" wailed Kushina.

…Sort of… It's going to be a long couple of months.

More often than not, I found myself asleep in class. Not the best thing to do considering I need to pass like no one's business, but with everything happening I couldn't help myself. I was out like a light the instant history or trivial information was being recited. Fortunately, I'm not much of a snorer. Unfortunately, I have friends that were less than gentle when it came to waking me up.

"Ow!" I hissed covering my head as a sharp flick hit my forehead. Gods! I really need to get something to cover my forehead!

"You're dead last in the class rankings again. Are you sure you should be sleeping?" murmured Itachi quietly as our chunin sensei continued the lesson either not hearing us or pretending to not notice us whispering amongst ourselves.

"I was just resting my eyes." I hissed back. "I was paying attention." Nope, totally a lie, I didn't hear a single word the man in front said.

"I'm quite sure you can recite word for word what was just said," drawled Itachi dryly.

"Oh shut up." I hissed.

"Kasa Mon!" snapped our chunin sensei.

"Yes sir!" I stood erect at the call of my name. I paused when I realized I just disrupted the classes even further. Giggles from my fellow classmates made me place a hand behind my head sheepishly. "…Sorry?"

"If you're quite done flirting with Itachi, please sit back down and pay attention," noted the man.

"I am not flirting with him!" I snapped before a piece of chalk smacked me straight in the head.

"Sit down," ordered the chunin before I huffed and plopped down in my seat, sulking. I swear I will find a way to stop all these attacks directed to my poor head one of these days. "You are in no position to be fooling around, you're two years behind and I'm surprised that you've gotten approval to continue shinobi training with how poorly you're doing."

I sunk lower in my seat. It's not like I disrupted his class on purpose, he didn't have to get on my case that badly. Man, if shinobi classes were like this, I don't want to know what kunoichi classes were like.

"… Kasa-chan, I know you were gone for two years with your father," started Hana hesitantly. "But didn't he teach you anything about concealing yourself while you were recovering?"

"Yeah, he gave me a thorough lesson on hiding and fleeing tactics along with their uses in espionage. Why?" I said with bewilderment during kunoichi class.

"…I don't think forest camouflage would be suitable for anywhere except in the forest," noted Hana before I looked up at our fellow classmates. They were all working on a different set of makeup.

"…We were supposed to do royal court espionage today weren't we?" I muttered darkly before bashing my head into the desk.

Okay, maybe Kushina wasn't the only one that's losing brain cells; I'm losing mine by the truckload. Even so, I still signed up for the first genin exam that was open. I know I'm not likely going to pass it on my first try, but at least I could take it to see on what the heck they'll be testing on. I have one year and three tries; I'm going to make sure to get the most out of the first two attempts.

Hey, I know my natural intellect can't match up to the so call geniuses in this world, but I know how to make up for it with preparation and planning. Not everyone can be that lucky. The rest of us mortals have to get creative to keep up with those bastards.

"Kasa… you do my notes aren't going to help you with your current classes right? You haven't caught up yet," noted Shisui when I demanded to see his notes.

"Don't care, give me any and all note scrolls. You at least take notes unlike Itachi, who just memorizes everything!" I grumbled.

I have tried asking Hana for her notes when I found out the Uchiha prodigy didn't take notes, but I have no clue how to read the Inuzuka short hand, and learning would take too much time. Mikoto had taught me the Uchiha short hand during the period I stayed with them. Shisui was probably the only person I could ask for notes without needing to learn another set of shorthand. Damn ninjas and their need to code the crap out of their things.

Seriously, why do they need to code a freaking grocery list? I understand the need to keep the mind sharp with practice, but it's not practical. I glared at the scrolls as I rewrote the notes in my own form of shorthand and in English. It wasn't as if I was afraid anyone reading my notes, but more rather my brain was still wired to remember English better than Japanese.

Sure, it'll take a second or two for my brain to translate between languages, but at least I don't have to worry about remembering three sets of writing. Hiragana and katakana were bad enough, but once you put in kanji, my brain completely shuts down. With kanji, there are a shit ton of strokes to a single character and a numerous number of characters that could be built into words.

To be considered literate, you would need to know roughly 1,500 characters. To be a scholar you would need about 10,000. However, to be a freaking ninja, you need to go beyond a scholar so you could do coding! What the hell? I swear, even after losing computers and the almighty internet, I'm still stuck doing coding.

"… My brain hurts." I whined, banging the back of my head against the tree after transcribing and reorganizing four scrolls worth of information into my notebook. Screw scrolls, pages are better to do flip study.

"Bashing your head in won't help you remember," said Itachi with a drone. "And I don't think you can afford losing anymore brain cells."

I chucked one of Shisui's scrolls at him. He caught it with ease and cracked it open leisurely. "You're not supposed to catch it!" I whined.

"I know I agreed to lending them to you Kasa, but I do want them back in one piece," noted Shisui.

"Why are you studying so hard anyway? You don't have to take the genin exams immediately," said Hana as she petted one of her ninkens.

Every since I resumed classes in the Academy, the four of us made it a routine to meet up during the lunch breaks to either eat lunch together or just lounge about. For kids, they're pretty laid back. Most other kids around this age would normally be running around playing tag or getting themselves hurt doing something stupid… What are you looking at? I'm not talking from experience!

… Okay, fine. I'm the idiot that got both arms disjointed doing something stupid around this age. Hurts like a bitch, but I learned not to let my arms lock when pulling at things! That's something right?

"I have to graduate within the year." I grumbled under my breath. "If I don't, I'm totally screwed."

"Screwed?" Shisui asked curiously. "How so?"

"Let me put it this way, if I don't graduate within this year, good luck ever seeing me again." I grumbled.

Knowing how Danzo worked, even if I was lucky and he couldn't get a hold of my apprenticeship, I'll still end up with a mentor that would train me into a weapon. I personally don't want to go into the front lines as a half jinchuriki. If the enemy's smart, they won't go after the dumbass brute with the sword and shield. They would go after the person who could rain hell on the earth.

Think of a weaponized jinchuriki as your black mage with AOE attacks, area of effect for you non-gamers. Now, think of what I just said about fighting and what ninjas are known for. That's right, they're cunning bastards that hide in the shadow and snipe you the instant your back's turned.

Fair play? What the hell is that? Why bother with confrontation when I could easily slit your throat in your sleep? Ninjas are not rainbows and sunshine, if you lived in this world for as long as I have, you'll notice the portrayal of this world in my previous life was totally the PG version with gallons of blood lost.

"You're exaggerating. If you fail, just take the exam over," said Hana. "You could take the genin exams until you're fifteen. You're not that bad in ranking. You just need another year or two."

"I don't have that much time!" I complained. "If I don't graduate this year, they'll take me away!"

Immediately, the three turned their attention on me. I didn't realize why until it was too late and I stumbled to correct what I said. Shit, I don't need these kids involved this, especially kids that weren't even out of the academy! Heck, even if they were chunin, I wouldn't want them involved! Danzo was ruthless. Stealing Shisui's eye, manipulating Itachi to kill his own clan. If these kids went after him now, they would die.

"Who's taking you away?" asked Itachi. If I didn't know any better, I might've thought he was demanding to know.

"Eh? Did I say away? I mean they'll—"

I got three glares pinned on me like a circus act with daggers and a spinning wheel. Obviously, I'm the one on the wheel and they have the daggers.

"Eh… heh…" I squeaked out a weak laugh and lied. "It has to deal with my health?"

Their glare lessened at my lie.

"Why? Are you still sick?" asked Hana worriedly.

"I'm fine… but they rather make sure I could handle becoming genin the normal way. If I couldn't, they're going to set me up on an apprenticeship with a mentor." I improvised. Wished I had more time for a better cover story, but this was better than nothing.

"…Isn't that a good thing? You'll still be a genin and have your very own sensei," noted Hana confused. "You could take up specializations if that's the case right?"

Shisui and Itachi stayed quiet, possibly suspicious of my story.

"Erm…" I chewed on my lower lip, my brain racing through excuses. "The apprenticeship isn't exactly like being a genin… and I don't think I want to go into the specialization they choose. It's not likely that they'll let me pursue a career as a iryo-nin… considering…" I stopped myself before I let slip my situation.

"… Is it hard for you to become an iryo-nin with your health problems?" asked Hana, genuinely concerned.

I would feel guilty in conning her, but I was too distracted by the suspicious stares from the Uchiha boys. Hard to feel guilt, when anxiety threatens to kick your ass.

"…Not exactly, it's more like I'm more suitable for another line of shinobi work rather than iryo-nin." I replied sheepishly.

"Then why not go into what you're good at?" asked Hana curiously.

…Because being good here means more people will target your ass and end you. And knowing how much a dumbass I could be in a tense situation, I can assure you my life span would be shorter than most shinobi if I was a part of the front line. Come to think of it, aside from games, I really dislike conflicts of any sort. Even with my hot temper, I do try to keep out of fights whenever I could… Keyword: try.

"That's because you want to be like your dad right?" inserted Shisui.

Thank you Shisui, I love you!

"Yeah, Tou-san's amazing!" I chirped. "Even though not all iryo-nins could be an amazing fighter like Tsunade-sama, he still managed to help a lot of people during our trip around the Land of Fire. They were so happy to see him!"

You know, I actually did like seeing the smiling faces on the people Tesuri healed. As much as I liked to bust a couple of heads together and kickass, there was something about working with healing chakra that made everything feel so much more satisfying.

"You really like iryo-ninjutsu don't you?" mused Shisui.

"Of course!" I huffed. "So what if ninjutsu, genjutsu or taijutsu could ultimately win a fight, a battle or a war? In the end, it's always the iryo-nin that picks up the pieces."

I bit my tongue when I saw the solemn look crossing their faces. The Kyubi attack was probably still fresh in their mind, not to mention the Third Shinobi War only ended two years prior. They were children of war, prepped for eventual deployment onto the field. I really do pity these child soldiers. Their childhood memories would always be a life of violence and bloodshed.

I almost drifted off in a tangent before I felt a hand on my shoulder. Blinking, I glanced up to Shisui with a puzzled expression. He gave a wry grin.

"You're not going to be able to remember much if you keep letting your mind wander off," mused Shisui.

I huffed in annoyance. My concentration was far from perfect, but I managed enough to keep Isobu's chakra down without having to worry about random episodes of wild chakra and memory blackouts.

"Don't you dare start flicking my forehead like Itachi!" I snapped. It took me ages to overcome the need to press against my forehead to concentrate and stop myself from drifting. I'm not about to let them restart the need to do so whenever I start drifting.

"You need to keep everything in there, I'm not going to knock out what you've learned already. Itachi would probably do that for you," teased Shisui.

I huffed, shrugging off his hand. "Ha-ha. Joke all you want, but I'm going to graduate the normal way and get myself onto a genin team! You guys better watch out because I might become a badass before all of you!"

A snort, I glanced over to Itachi and he acted as if he didn't make the noise. "We'll see Miss Dead Last."

I scowled and opened my mouth to say something, but he continued.

"Come over in the morning. My father said he'll resume your taijutsu training," said Itachi. I blinked in surprise at his words. "Your horrible grades aggravated him."

"What?" I said in confusion.

A small twitch appeared at the corner of Itachi's lips. "He's annoyed with your taijutsu grades claiming you're sullying his name by doing so poorly despite having prior training from him."

My eye twitched as I scowled, damn egotistic Uchiha. One of these days, I'm going to wipe that arrogance off their faces.

"Though, I suspect, he only said that because he knew my mother wanted you to come visit," said Itachi.

The scowl disappeared from my face. Oh right, I haven't gone to see Mikoto after the Kyubi attack… I really should go visit her. That was sweet of Fugaku to do this for his wife… but that doesn't excuse his douchebaggery.

"Hey, don't go hogging Kasa-chan all to yourself," teased Shisui as he looped an arm around my shoulders. "You already have her sharing all the same classes with you. Keeping her to yourself in the morning would be double-dipping."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "If you're jealous then you can have study sessions with her after classes are over. I'm quite sure she could use the help."

A sly grin crossed the older Uchiha's face. "Maybe I will have study sessions with Kasa-chan and she'll like me so much that she'll ditch your morning sessions. Then I'll get to keep her all to myself."

"Who's double-dipping now?" drawled Itachi.

I resisted as sigh as the two traded words. Somehow, I became their plaything. No, not _that_ sort, you perverts. They're kids, not even preteens yet. The furthest they'd go would be pulling my arms out of my sockets in a game of tug-of-war while childishly claiming ownership. Not that either of them would stoop to so low. The Uchiha in them wouldn't allow that.

Instead, they settled with a game of words, teasing and annoying one another. If they ever get a chance to get on the Konoha council, they would be great politicians. I on the other hand, would suck if my previous experience at the council were any indication. That bit of word vomit at accusing Danzo might've gone better if I was more composed and phrased my words better.

No doubt, the level of treason I accused of the man should send alarms to anyone with a brain. Unfortunately, I'm not the type to be eloquent with my words and Danzo seems like the type to cover his tracks. If the man was as tricky as the show portrayed; there would be no incriminating evidence against him. Even though it may seem like we won against him with my study extension and the addition of retaking exams, I get the sinking feeling it was still within his machinations.

Danzo was known to be calculating and cautious. He would never do something without weighing the pro and cons of each action. Now that I think about it… everything about my kidnapping and the council meeting seemed off. The man was known to hoard power in order to build his ideal Konoha.

Even though I don't technically carry a demon, I was still a jinchuriki carrying half the power of one. Yet, he offered me to Hanzo? How would that benefit Konoha? Not to mention, he kept trying to eject me from the village and paint me as a villain. It's almost as if he has a grudge against me or something.

There was also the matter about pushing a mentor on me. I'm not exactly sure who would become my mentor, but I get the sinking feeling Danzo might be able to either convince the council that his candidate was perfect. Or more likely, he would have either Koharu or Homura, the advisors, to advocate the mentor of his choice.

By the time I figure it out on whether or not Danzo have succeeded, it would be too late. Either he'll have me brainwashed or my reluctance to listen to my mentor would get me court martialed for disobeying a superior. Neither situation was in my favor. I've definitely gotten the short end of the draw.

Aside from geniuses and war, most Academy students don't graduate until they were at least twelve. The nine-month extension was hardly enough if taking in the consideration that I was also two years behind. Thank god, I'm not really a child. I wouldn't have stood a chance if I were.

Even so, I'm not meant for the world of politics and conspiracies. Word play and deception were my Achilles' heel. The fact I've gotten this far with my lies was likely pure luck and the fact that the truth was unbelievable to most.

Imagine, if I suddenly went up to someone, anyone really, and told them their life, their world and everything they believed in was a lie, what would they do? If I'm lucky, they would think I'm insane and walk away. If I'm not so lucky, and I know Lady Luck hates me, they would get the men in the white coats and drag me away. Telling them the truth of my origins would do nothing to help and my claim of being an oracle would not hold out for long.

My foreknowledge only went as far as what I could remember in the show and the validity of that knowledge only applied if nothing changed. Well, it's safe to say, I've already changed a shit ton of things. So, my claim of being an oracle was shit. I could probably still get away with saying what could have happened, but no one cares about what ifs, only what will.

"That's not fair at all, if you guys get her in the morning and after classes, I get her during our breaks," joined in Hana with a grin. Obviously, not wanting to get left out of the fun of playing tug-of-war with my poor body.

"Not you too Hana." I groaned burying my face into my hands. The trio found great amusement in my misery.

For the following months, my daily routines involved taijutsu training with Fugaku and Itachi in the morning, shinobi and kunoichi classes during the day, practicing and recapping kunoichi classes with Hana during breaks and study sessions with Shisui in the afternoon. Following that, depending on whether it was my turn, I took up babysitting Naruto to give Kushina a brief break. If I managed to survive all that, Tesuri slipped in some iryo-ninjutsu practice after dinner.

By the time the genin exams came about, I was sick with a high fever. Oh, I still went into the Academy to take the exam. I'm really good at hiding the fact that I'm sick. It's a useless skill that I kept from my old life. Yeah, I know I'm weird. Most kids would totally use the sick card as an excuse to cut school. Me? I'm the idiot that went in despite having a 104-degree fever.

"Just a little more." I murmured to myself as I worked through my pounding head and rasping breath.

You would think that my Uzumaki blood would keep me from catching the common cold, but even the resilience of that clan was not infallible when faced with the stress of training and studying nonstop for three months straight.

"Pencils down," said the chunin proctor.

"Done." I whispered hoarsely as the pen slipped out of my hand and I landed face flat on my desk.

"Sensei! Kasa passed out!" shouted someone, no clue who, but it sounded muffled to my ears.

It felt like having cotton balls in my ears. Any other time, I would get up and pretended it was all a joke, but I didn't even have the energy to sit up straight. I vaguely heard someone talking to me—at me? Not even sure about that right now. Eventually, the world turned black for the nth time and I was embraced by sleep.

Yeah… If you can't already tell, my written exam was discarded. I never got a chance to take the practical portion as they immediately shipped me off to the hospital and dumped my feverish ass in a cold bath. My brain was so hazy; I don't remember much of the hospital stay. When I was finally coherent enough to make sense of anything, I was under a healing coma for nearly two weeks.

Total balls, just when I was getting the hang of taijutsu, my body totally crapped out! I knew my body wasn't meant for taijutsu and the daily training with Fugaku and Itachi had done a number on me. Had my natural inclination been any of the main three, those exercises and training would've made my body stronger, but since I wasn't under any of those, my body crapped out from overexertion.

To say Tesuri was upset was an understatement, but I'm not going to get into his lectures. By now, every lecture he gives me was about my recklessness almost every time. He banned me from taijutsu training until I've recovered and even after a full recovery, my physical and practical training was limited to every other day. Apparently, it was to give my body a chance to recover and avoid a repeat.

I sorely hope the exhaustion and fever haven't fried anything important. The lack of memory on the exam questions was upsetting. I couldn't even use my first failure to improve my studying method. There were four genin exams in a year, when I was reinstated in the Academy, the last exam for the year was already done and over. I needed to wait three months for January's exam and we all knew how that turned out.

Nine months and two chances left. Shit… I need sleep.

* * *

Author's Note: Life totally kicked my ass. I didn't get a chance to work on this chapter until now. However, on a lighter note, the story has reached the 300th review mark! And as always, you guys are frighteningly awesome! I know several of you requested a picture of Kasa. I'm not much of an artist, but I do have a friend drawing her right now. So, when she's done, I'll post the link in my profile and note it in an author's note at the end of a chapter when it's ready. Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Judgment Day

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Nineteen: Judgment Day**

When the next genin exam came about, everyone barred me from taking it and I mean _everyone_ and their mother. I swear Mikoto was scarier than Tesuri and Kushina combined, giving me death threats if if I showed even the slightest sign of a sniffle when I left the Uchiha household after my morning training session. Not that it really mattered, there were two more chances I could take the exam before the year was over.

I'll admit I was a bit hasty with how hard I pushed myself. I should've definitely paced myself better to avoid that little mishap. I kept forgetting this wasn't my old body. This one wasn't used to high stress and all-nighters. Even if my mind was ready and willing to deal with such things, the body was still a child. Most six to seven-year-old children should have at least twelve hours to function properly, teens needed at least eight hours.

In my old body I worked with less than six, but that one was used to long hours of gaming and last minute assignments. Yeah, I'm a procrastinator, but I always know how long it would take me to finish an assignment, so I've always left myself more than enough time to do so. Now, if only being a ninja was as simple as writing a paper.

Since I was banned from taking the genin exam this time, I decided to take that day off from everyone. As much as I like them and maybe even love them, I missed having a moment of solitude to myself. Come to think of it, I haven't had any alone time since I arrived in this world.

"What to do?" I murmured to myself the morning of the genin exam.

Those who weren't taking the exam had the day off. Not that they really needed it. It was more for the examiners so they don't have to deal with watching the examinees and rowdy Academy students while they graded the potential genin candidates.

I didn't feel like heading towards the Uchiha district for morning taijutsu training, nor did I want to visit the Inuzuka to study with Hana. Today was supposed to be all about me… now if only I knew what I want to do for me…

Hell, I haven't had a day off in ages and now I'm lost at what to do! What did I do in my previous life when I had a day off anyway? Let's see… video games, web browsing, reading manga and fanfics, online shopping… Well, shit. How am I going to do all those anti-social activities without technology?

"Balls." I muttered to myself darkly as I wrapped my hands behind my head and strolled through the village.

I couldn't even go off and gorge myself on the various cuisines in Konoha; I didn't have any spending money. I'm sure Tesuri would've given me some if I asked, but I haven't needed to use money in so long, I didn't even think about asking. Again, it's no big deal. If I can't be a pig, I'll just find something else to do.

An hour strolling through the various sectors of Konoha and I found myself playing tourist as I turned it into a game to see if I could find the homes and locations of Naruto's future friends and teammates. I knew where the Uchiha district and the Inuzuka Clan household were so there was no point in searching for them. Those two areas I made sure to steer clear as I went about with my game. As much as I liked the kids, I really don't want to humor them on my day off.

All the while, I worked on my mental map of Konoha. I haven't gotten a chance to really explore Konoha and this was a great chance to do so. The best part of this game was the familiar locations where I knew Minato hid his various special kunai. I have to try to find one of his kunais. It would make traveling around Konoha so much easier.

Interestingly enough, I found one of the kunai locations at one of the clan houses I was looking for. I just hadn't realized it when I saw it the first time using the Hiraishin.

"Hmm?" I hummed as I spotted a koi pond and my fan-girl side got the better of me. With a grin I formed a half-ram seal and whispered, "Hidden Mist Jutsu."

The water in the koi pond dispersed slowly as a fine mist enveloped the area. The house stood some distance away from the hustle and bustle of Konoha, surrounded by trees and a large forest behind the traditional house. I had decent cover behind the trees, at least until the mist was thick enough for me to run in. It's still early enough in the morning, no one would notice and it's almost spring, a little mist or fog wouldn't be too out of place right?

Normally, I would've never allowed such stalker tendencies to surface, but I couldn't help it. This clan was by far, my favorite out of all the clans in the series. Their screen time was limited, but my goodness when they do have screen time, they totally steal the show!

Also, I wanted to see if I could find Minato's kunai. If I could, it'd be easier to find the others and gather them for emergencies. I might need to tap into Isobu's chakra to do use them, considering I don't have enough chakra to pull it off on my own, at least not yet. Could you imagine how awesome that would be when I finally do have enough? Not sure how big my stores would be, but I'm hopeful that I'd be able to use it. If not… well, I could give it to Naruto when he's older.

I'm quite sure if I had a mirror, I would see the biggest grin on my face as I snuck into the compound. It's not like they wake early anyway right? I could get in, look around and get out. No one would know I'm there! I nearly skipped my way to the house with how excited I was.

"I'm going be awesome." I whispered in a cheery sing-tone as I made my way through the mist.

Though… that might've been a stupid move on my part. The second I spoke, my body froze, resisting all efforts I made in moving. Me and my big mouth. The next thing I knew, my body moved on its own and out of the veil of mist.

"Why does it have to be a girl?" sighed a dull voice as I approached a man with a pineapple hairstyle. "This is so troublesome."

I nearly squealed on the spot. It was Shikaku Nara. I found it impossible to keep the stupid grin off my face. "Good morning Nara-san! I'm totally not a suspicious person!" I greeted brightly with the worst defense ever, but I don't think he'd kill me for my sass.

"You do know, saying you're not suspicious only makes you even more so?" drawled the man lazily. "Don't you have anything better to do on your day off from the Academy?"

Ah, no doubt this guy Sherlocked his way to this conclusion. My fan-girl side tempted me to ask him to explain how he figured it out, but knowing the personality of his clan, he wouldn't bother indulging my fan-girl tendencies.

"Are you going to answer me?" sighed the man, almost as if he was exhausted. "I much rather waste my morning some other way."

Crap, I totally got distracted. Excuses, excuses… uh… what excuse can I use?

"If you're going to lie, don't bother answering," said Shikaku dully.

I squeaked. Damn it! Was I that obvious? Or was he really that good? The look in his bored eyes told me he really wanted to just let me go and go back to lazing around.

"Sorry?" I offered instead. "I wasn't going to do anything bad if that helps any. I just wanted to find something."

"Something?" droned the man. "What exactly do you think you can find here?"

"I wanted to see if I could find Minato-san's kunai." I answered truthfully. There was no point in lying to this man, he could see through it in a heartbeat. "His Hiraishin was so cool!"

He raised a brow, but showed no other response at my words. I wonder if he was shocked or even surprised at all, probably not. "What makes you think there's something like that here?"

"Because I saw it. There were a couple of other places too, but I don't know Konoha well enough to find them yet. I stumbled across this place by accident." I grinned. "You're Minato-san's friend right? He must visit you a lot if he left a kunai here."

It's not surprising that the late hokage visited the Nara household often for Shikaku's expertise advisement. Minato, being the smart man he was, would have noticed the excellent mind behind the lazy Nara exterior. No doubt, they were teammates at some point in their career and Shikaku respected him greatly. I doubt Minato would be able to venture into the Nara household with such freedom if that wasn't the case. Hokage or no hokage.

Shikaku sighed. "Do you think a kunai could help you graduate within the year?"

A confused frown crossed my face before I could stop it. How does he know about my deadline? Wasn't that confidential? Or did he come to some other conclusion that involves with me wanting to graduate early? Let's not think too hard on it, I might hurt myself.

"How would a kunai help me graduate? It's not like it could take the exams or perform on the practical for me." I pointed out the obvious flaw of the statement, though I don't think he meant it quite literally.

The only thing I would make sense from his statement was that he thinks I was going find a way to use Hiraishin as leverage to bribe my way through graduation. Becoming a ninja wasn't as simple as knowing how to perform a bunch of jutsu. Any dumb brute could do that with enough power and practice. Being a ninja required a keen mind and adaptability. Just because I could use the ultimate technique of someone famous meant nothing, if I don't have a brain to know when to use it.

Tell me, if you were a genin and suddenly someone tells you to go fight Orochimaru. Are you going to be a dumbass and outright attack him? Hell no, you would poison the bastard when he's not around to see you. Though, I doubt he could be killed that easily with poison, but that's not the point I was trying to make.

Shikaku looked intrigued. "What were you planning to do with the kunai then?"

"Use it to cut down traveling time. I could save a lot of time if I could use it." I answered truthfully before shrugging. "And if I can't, I was going to give it to Naruto later."

"Why?" asked Shikaku.

"Why not?" I returned. "It does belong to his dad, so technically it would belong to him. Even if I could use it, I'm only borrowing it for now."

Shikaku said nothing as he looked at me with wry amusement. The restriction on my body disappeared and I found myself tumbling at the sudden freedom.

"Eep!" I squeaked out as I hopped trying to catch my balance. My arms flailed as I regained my balance.

"If you want access to the Nara estate, come talk to me after you become chunin," said Shikaku as he turned to leave.

"Chunin?" I resisted the urge to whine. I'm having enough trouble just becoming genin!

"Show yourself out and do try not to break in again," drawled Shikaku. "I rather not waste energy in catching you and kicking you off the property."

I watched, baffled, as the man walked off, completely ignoring me. The laziness of the Nara knows no bounds, but then again, I'm hardly a threat.

"Oh, and you might want to work on dispersing the mist better. Hidden Mist Jutsu might work fine in the Land of Rain and the Land of Mist, but here you need to be a little more careful on how you execute the jutsu," noted the man offhandedly.

Damn it, I feel like Konohamaru now. I wonder how obvious I looked from the outside? Oh, no point in worrying about that now. I'll deal with it when I get around to it. Well, that was time wasted. I didn't get a kunai and I might have garnered more unwanted attention… again. You know, I'm _really_ bad at this ninja business, even my stats are telling me to do something else.

Man, why couldn't I have ended up in the Harry Potter's world? Heck, even a Final Fantasy setting would've been better. Lost in my griping thoughts, I hadn't notice where I wandered off, until a cat ran past me.

"Watch out!" shouted an unfamiliar voice.

A split second later, I was plowed to the ground by another body. My head spun at the collision to the ground. I should probably pay more attention to my surroundings.

"Ow…" I whined, sprawled the ground with someone lying on top of me. What the hell man? I just wanted a nice day off.

"Sorry," murmured my attacker as he pushed himself off me and pulled me up. "Are you okay?"

"Why are there three of you?" I said in a daze as I shook away the triple vision. I sorely hope I didn't get a concussion. I pressed a hand to my head. "I think I'm okay."

"Are you sure now?" asked the boy.

I glanced up at him; on his head was a Konoha hitai-ate. A genin most likely, but that was hardly what I was thinking about. What's most notable about this boy was the familiar scar across his face and on the bridge of his nose.

"Iruka! What are you doing? Tora's getting away!" shouted another boy.

"Just a second Mizuki!" shouted back Iruka before he turned to me again. "You're going to be able to get home on your own if I leave you right?"

I gave a dumb nod, not sure what else to say.

"All right, sorry again!" shouted the scarred-faced boy before he dashed around me and raced after his white-haired teammate.

What were the chances of me running into Iruka of all people? I guess I'll run into everyone at some point while I'm here, but I didn't know he was a genin already. He must've graduated during the last genin exam since I'm quite sure he wasn't a genin when the Kyubi attacked. Good to know he's still alive and I haven't accidentally killed him off during Isobu's attack. It would suck if I killed off the only Academy sensei that doesn't hate Naruto's guts.

I was ready to be on my way before another thought hit me and I turned to stare at the disappearing figure of Iruka and Mizuki.

"… Just how old is Tora?" I wondered. Is that cat immortal? Or did the daimyo's wife name every cat she owned, Tora? Most cats live about fourteen to sixteen years. There's no way this is the same agile cat that Naruto and Konohamaru both chased after in twelve to sixteen years time… Right?

I found myself going on these exploration trips once every couple of days as a break in between training and study sessions for the next several months. I haven't run into any other familiar faces during that time, but I'm not complaining. It was a relaxing break in between cram sessions.

Of course, with me, you totally know there was no such thing as peace. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Fortunately, this disruption of peace was not hazardous sort… well, depending what's your definition of hazardous.

"Naruto!" I shouted as dove to shield the blonde baby as my pile of notebooks came tumbling down from my desk.

"Saa!" giggled the blonde baby as the books smacked against my head and slid off my back.

"Not funny." I grumbled as I picked him up and hauled him out of my room.

Yep, the brat reached his eight-month milestone, which meant the little ankle-biter crawled _everywhere_ and grabbed at _everything_. He can't exactly walk on his own, but with proper support he could go pretty far on his two feet. You thought the bi-hourly feedings was a nightmare before? Ha, you haven't seen a thing yet. I'm dreading the moment when he could walk and run.

"Kushina-san, you forgot to put Naruto in the playpen again." I sighed exasperatedly when she came out of the bathroom.

"Damn it!" said the woman as she did a face palm. "I knew I forgot something!"

Obvious, even after eight months, she hasn't completely regained her wits yet and it's not only her. I've seen Mikoto and Tsume act this way several times as well when I visited the Uchiha and Inuzuka household. I really hope this mommy syndrome would go away soon. I don't think my heart can take the stress, especially not with my deadline coming up.

"I'll be more careful. Are you going back to studying? You're taking the genin exams tomorrow right?" noted Kushina as she took Naruto from my arms.

I crossed my arms behind my head. "I think I'm going to take it easy tonight, I don't want a repeat of last time."

She smiled at me. "That's good. Just remember, if you don't pass this time, you'll still have next time. Don't stress yourself out. Treat this as a learning experience."

"How many times did you take the genin exams, Kushina-san?" I asked curiously.

"Once," chirped the woman. "It was easy."

I felt a dark cloud over my head. I know she's not trying to rub it in, but still, that stung. This is going to suck if it ends up like my first driving exam where I failed by like one point… Shit, I just had to go and think that didn't I?

* * *

On the day of the exam, everything went fairly well. I didn't oversleep; I didn't collapse through the written exam. I even got through the practical portion of the exam. Things were looking good…sort of…

"…How did I do?" I asked nervously when they took me aside for a personal interview.

I'm not sure if this was a part of the standard procedures, considering we never get to see what really goes on for the genin exam in the series. The most we ever saw was practical portion for the Transformation Jutsu, which I managed, thank you very much. I might not be genjutsu inclined, but I could still manage looking like someone else if need be.

"To be honest," started Daikoku sensei, the roll-poly man. He's a nice guy, but kind of forgettable. Took me ages to remember his name. "You did much better on the practical exam than the written exam. You could handle the work of a genin that wouldn't be much of a problem…"

"But?" I asked, recognizing the lingering but that he didn't want to voice out.

"Your grades in kunoichi espionage and shinobi tactics were lacking," noted Suzume sensei stiffly, my kunoichi instructor. "If you don't already know, there is an additional portion to the genin exams for hopeful kunoichi."

Well, no one ever told me that.

"Judging by the look of your face, you likely didn't pay attention to that portion of kunoichi lessons," said the woman sternly.

I felt a blush rushing to my cheeks. Okay, maybe I wasn't paying a hundred percent attention to class as I'm supposed to, but come on! You're telling me I'm going to fail because I screwed up the sexist portion of the exam? What the hell? If I was a guy, I bet they'd totally pass me! They wouldn't have this stupid kunoichi portion.

"Kasa," continued Suzume as she pushed up her glasses. "I am aware that you have returned from a two-year hiatus and recovering from your previous bouts of health issues. While I applaud you for the progress you made in the last eight months, you must understand, as a kunoichi, there are certain skills that our male counterparts cannot partake."

Yeah, I bet. Even if the guys could use the transformation jutsu to turn into a woman, it would be hard to keep it up constantly if the mission was noted for long term. Even if they cross-dressed, it would take a considerable amount of effort to hide the fact they're men. There was also one other thing… but I rather not venture into that area. Preferably, I don't ever have to do _that_ portion of kunoichi work.

If you don't know what I mean, then obviously you're too young to know. This is why I'm aiming to join the medical corps as soon as I can. Let some other person deal with espionage and the other ninja stuff. I'm a horrible liar anyway.

"I understand." I replied, resisting the urge to sigh and slump into depression. "Is it allowed for me to ask on what to study and improve on? To prepare for the next time I take the exam?"

Suzume smiled faintly. "It is allowed. I suggest you brush up on your kunoichi lessons, along with shinobi tactics. Overall, your practical scores in disguises were almost flawless, but your failings was in your inability to emulate the appearance of your disguise."

"And one other question… I'm aiming to join the medical corps at some point after becoming a genin. If I score better in other areas in the next exam, but still scored less than desirable in the kunoichi portion, would there be exceptions? Or is the kunoichi portion mandatory?" I asked, surprising both instructors.

As I've said before, I'm not a natural genius. I know I'm not going to be able to get a perfect score on everything. However, I am the master of loopholes! And considering Lee later on graduated with no skill in genjutsu and ninjutsu, I'm quite sure I could find someway to get an exception for my lack of acting skills.

"Medical corps?" said both of them in surprise.

"Yeah, Tou-san and Rin-san are already training me in iryo-ninjutsu. I could perform several jutsu, if you want me to prove it." I offered.

The two of them looked at one another for a moment as if debating something before turning back to me.

"It is very impressive that you are studying other subjects in addition to your current studies," noted Daikoku. "We will take that into consideration on your next exam if your grades improve. At the moment, even if you perform excellently with your iryo-ninjutsu, we cannot pass you with your current level in shinobi tactics."

"I understand, but uh…" I started sheepishly, scratching the side of my cheek. "Can I know how much did I fail by, in overall? I know each portion is graded differently, but if you were to use a point system, how much did I get out of a hundred? And what's considered passing?"

The two sighed, giving me a shake of a head.

"Never mind, how about, was I close?" I asked instead.

"We'll see you in class tomorrow, Kasa," stated Suzume before I was told to leave.

* * *

"So you flunked," said Itachi the next day during lunch break.

"Oh shut it. I was close!" I said as I plopped onto the ground next to him, I had kunoichi lessons earlier during the morning. "I didn't see you taking the exam."

"I don't feel like taking yet," noted Itachi.

"Why the hell not?" I asked mildly annoyed. "I know you could pass and take Rookie of Year while you're at it. Why the heck are you still here?"

A wry grin touched his lips. "I wanted to see how many times you failed first."

"… Did I tell you how much I hate you?" I huffed in annoyance.

"Every day," replied Itachi.

"Well, the next exam will be my last and I'm not planning to fail." I retorted. "So, enjoy this while it lasts."

"I thought you said you had a year," said Itachi with a frown.

"The next exam is the last one before my deadline is over." I waved it off. "You might as well take the next genin exam when it comes around."

Why am I pushing him to take the exam, you wonder? Because, the damn bastard was supposed to graduate ages ago! I just caused another unnecessary change. I wonder if this will affect the timeline for the Uchiha. If Itachi doesn't graduate early, would that mean he wouldn't get into ANBU? And if that were the case, would the coup the Uchiha planned be carried out?

Gods, I swear I'm going to get an aneurism from trying to figure these changes. Obito's no longer the fake Madara, but there was another fake running around to trigger the Kyubi attack. Even if I managed to change certain things, the big events still happened. Does it mean, regardless what I do, this universe would try to revert itself back to its normal course? That's a depressing thought, but then again that's just a wild shot in the dark on my take of what might happen despite the ripples I've caused.

"Do you know where you were lacking in the exam?" asked Itachi.

"Don't remind me." I groaned, smashing my face into the desk. "Suzume sensei said I need to get better in the kunoichi portion of the exam. The hell? If I was a boy, I'd totally pass that stupid exam."

"Only the kunoichi portion?" asked Itachi with a raised brow.

"…And shinobi tactics…" I grumbled reluctantly. "Maybe I could see if Rin-san's free for some tips, because Kushina-san, Tsume-san and even your mother, Mikoto-san all seem to suffer from mommy syndrome."

"…Mommy syndrome?" asked Itachi with a confused expression.

"They all gave birth some time around last year right?" I noted before the Uchiha heir nodded. "Yeah, they're not all there yet. Something about giving birth to babies makes them not very sensible. It's no wonder they get a year off from active duty."

"My mother's retired from shinobi duties," said Itachi.

"Because you obviously sucked out all the brainpower she needed to function as a kunoichi. How else would you explain your perfect scores and near perfect memory?" I noted with a grin. "I feel bad for Mikoto-san if Sasuke ends up to be a little genius like you."

Itachi hid a snort of laughter behind his knuckles, his lips twitching up, unable to resist the grin spreading across his face. "Little genius? I'll tell father and mother that you think so highly of Sasuke's potential. He's only recently stopped trying to chew my hand off."

I cracked up laughing. As much as I wanted to hate Sasuke for betraying Naruto in the future, I found it impossible with how adorable he was as a baby. I haven't forgotten that it was Itachi that caused the change in his demeanor, but at the same time, I couldn't see that ruthless teen that would eventually kill his family for his village. I know I'm being hopeful, but I really want to see if I could change the fate of the Uchiha. I didn't plan to, but… they're kind of growing on me.

"What are you guys grinning about?" asked Hana when she joined us; she stayed behind to talk to Suzume sensei earlier.

"Guess what Hana? I didn't pass!" I said with a bright grin.

She looked at me puzzled. "I know that already, why are you so happy about it?"

"You rather I sulk and cry about it?" I asked, grin still wide on my face.

"No, I just find it odd that you're suddenly so happy about it," said Hana baffled.

"Well, I still have one last chance before they stick me to a mentor." I shrugged. "You want to take the next exam with me? Maybe we could end up in the same team. Ooh, I should ask Shisui to take the exam too!"

"You're not going to ask Itachi?" asked Hana with a raised brow.

"He said he didn't feel like." I waved a nonchalant hand.

"I said I didn't feel like it for the previous one, I said nothing about the next one," said Itachi.

"Oh good god, I totally need to get Shisui to take the exam now. What if I pass and end up with _you_ as a teammate?" I said jokingly.

"Did I hear my name?" said Shisui as he came closer.

"Hey! Hey!" I waved him over. "Shisui _join us_ and become one of us! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!"

Shisui chuckled as he took a seat with us under our usual spot under the tree. "What is she talking about?"

"She's talking about her last genin exam attempt," drawled Itachi. "She wants us to come watch her fail in person."

"Hey!" I puffed up my cheeks indignantly.

"That's not very nice Itachi," grinned Shisui. "I'm sure Kasa-chan could probably pass the next one."

I grinned at him brightly. "See! Shisui's not shooting me down. I totally want him to be on my team more than you."

"That's because Shisui's too nice to tell you the harsh truth," retorted Itachi with a smirk.

"I'm going to ignore you now." I said before latching onto Hana's arm. "So, you're going to take the exam with me right?"

Hana chuckled. "I think I'm going to wait a little. While my class ranking isn't bad, I don't think I'm ready."

"Awes, but _Hana_!" I whined. "What if I end up on a team with Itachi? He'll totally bully me!"

The Inuzuka girl giggled. "Well, if you can get Shisui to take the exam as well, maybe he could save you from Itachi."

"Oh yeah!" I said before turning to Shisui with a big grin. "What do you say Shisui?"

"Hmm…" hummed the older boy with an amused grin on his face. "I don't know… Itachi-chan might get jealous if I steal away Kasa-chan."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Don't use me as an excuse. You're just being lazy."

"Like you?" I retorted. "Mr. I Didn't Feel Like it."

"All right, all right. I'll take the exam if that would stop the flirting between you two," chuckled Shisui.

"We're not flirting!" I snapped.

Hana covered her mouth giggling. "You're so easy Kasa-chan."

* * *

September, three months later, I sat in the interview room once again with Suzume sensei and Daikoku sensei with my sweaty hands gripping at hems of my long shirt. I spent the last couple of months studying with Rin whenever she was free to give me tutoring sessions on kunoichi matters. I spent hours at a time perfecting the Uchiha style taijutsu taught by Fugaku while juggling chakra control exercises. I was nearly perfect with the basic ninjutsu and genjutsu that was required for graduation.

I definitely knew I scored better in my practical compared to the written exam, but I have no clue whether or not it was enough to graduate. I have no confidence in the kunoichi section of the exam whatsoever.

"Here we are again," started Daikoku warmly as he and Suzume looked over my results. "I must say. You've improved some since the last exam."

"T-thanks?" I stuttered out. Good lord, someone just kill me already. My nerves are shot. If they're going to drag this interview out, I might just pass out.

"Since we've done this once before, why don't we just get into the matter?" said Daikoku as he shuffled through his papers. "Like last time, your practical scores were much better than your written exam. This you probably know already."

I nodded stiffly. "How did I do in the kunoichi portion?"

Suzume adjusted her glasses, the light glinting off the corner as she glanced through her set of notes. "There have been improvements compared to the previous exam," started the woman.

I bit my lower lip. Was it enough to pass?

"But you still need quite a bit of work for it to be acceptable," said the woman.

"I understand." My shoulders slumped.

Not good enough after all. Shit… Goodbye freewill. I wonder who they're going to stick me with? Or are they going to just stick me into ROOT and get it over with? I wonder how long it would take before they complete brainwash me? Hmm… I got to admit; I'm very easily swayed. Seriously, if I see a commercial for fried chicken on TV, most likely I'll end up eating that for dinner. It's happened before. This is so going to suck…

"Kasa, are you paying attention?" noted Daikoku as he snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I said in puzzlement, there's more? "We're not done?"

"I know you didn't do as well as you have liked," consoled Daikoku. "However, taking into consideration of what you said in the previous exam, we've looked into your medical education as you claimed proficiency in."

"Yes?" I said, puzzled. Why were they bringing this up? Didn't I flunk already?

"After speaking with your father, Tesuri Mon, he verified your claims and gave us an evaluation of your current level of iryo-ninjutsu. Of course, we cannot put his evaluation on record until you are formally tested by a certified iryo-nin that has no relations to you," said Suzume.

"…Okay?" I continued hesitantly. Dare I hope this was a good sign?

"With that in mind," said Daikoku. "You currently have the worst grade among the graduates…"

My heart stopped.

"However, I do believe you are a suitable candidate to graduate to the rank of genin with some guidance," said the man as a smile spread across his and Suzume's lips.

"…I… passed?" I whispered, baffled.

"Please come up to receive your hitai-ate," said Daikoku as he retrieved a Konoha hitai-ate from the neat spread on his desk.

My fingers felt numb as I pulled my hands away from the hem of my shirt to push myself off my seat. The short trip to the desk felt surreal as I fought against the smile that threatened to split across my face. When I reached the desk, Suzume gave me a pointed look.

"Do keep up with your kunoichi studies even if you do join the medical corps. You'll never know when those skills would become useful in a future mission," noted the woman.

"Yes ma'am!" I said in an erected stance.

Daikoku chuckled as he presented me with my hitai-ate. "Congratulations Kasa. Keep up the hard work."

I gave a formal bow as I took the hitai-ate with as much grace I could muster. Keeping myself calm and composed as I walked out of that room was probably the hardest thing I've ever done in this life. I've made all of two steps out of the room, before I found myself dashing down the halls and out of the building.

"WOOHOO!" I cheered at the top of my lungs as I jumped out of the front doors of the Academy. "VICTORY IS MINE!" I cackled insanely as I skipped and hopped about on the school grounds.

I'm totally ignoring all the odd stares from my fellow peers. I don't care how insane or weird I look; nothing can ruin my mood today! Oh man! I can't believe I passed! This is so awesome! I held up my hitai-ate to the light and grinned like the idiot I am.

"I think she's finally lost it," drone Itachi in a dry voice.

"Oh, let her enjoy this," chuckled Shisui.

I bounced on the balls of my feet, as I turned to them with a bright grin. In their hands, they both held a hitai-ate of their own. I squealed as I skipped over, showing off mine.

"Look! Look! I passed! I passed! I can't believe I passed!" I'm quite sure my voice was squeaking and cracking at this point, but I could really care less.

Heck, I even tackled Fugaku with a hug when he came to see the graduation. He was mortified by my actions, but I don't care. I'm a freaking ninja! How awesome is that? This is the best day of my life! Take that Danzo! I passed! I'm a ninja! WOOHOO!

* * *

Author's Notes: I was really tempted to fail her, but… I think I'm going to give her a break for once. Team assignments next chapter! Will she pass the second part of the genin exam or will Danzo get the last laugh?


	21. Chapter Twenty: Hostile Situation

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty: Hostile Situation**

My victory in graduating was short lived. I completely forgot about the second portion of the exam, where the jounin instructor decides whether or not they want to deal with the genin candidates' bullshit. However, before that, I get to know who my teammates are! Yaaaay… Can you hear the enthusiasm dripping from my voice?

"I thought you were happy about graduating," noted Tesuri at breakfast, the morning of the team assignments. "Aren't you going to eat something?"

"Not hungry." I muttered.

As if I could keep anything down right now. I'm going through the worst case of jitters right now! How could I be such an idiot and forget about the second portion of the exam? Argh! I totally wasted my earlier attempts! My fingers drummed against the side of my mug, a nervous habit that carried over from my previous life.

Something about drumming my fingers calmed me… Kind of wished tea still did the same, instead of getting me all wired up. Tesuri and Kushina banned me from having more than a mug per day because of how twitchy I get.

One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. I paused, suddenly realizing what rhythm I was tapping. God damn it, I better not freaking summon the Master and turn into a crazy time lord. This world is crazy enough without time travelers and aliens.

"You know there's a second exam, don't you?" sighed Tesuri.

I blinked, glancing at him as I came out of my thoughts. I almost forgot he was aware of my so-called _oracle_ abilities.

"Don't worry about it. Even if you have to get a mentor, I'm quite sure Uzumaki-san will find a way to secure your mentorship," said Tesuri.

I gave a sigh as I glanced towards the quiet room. Naruto's not awake yet, which meant Kushina could sleep in a little more. She took last night's shift since I had orientation and team assignments today.

"I'll eat later during lunch." I murmured.

Tesuri gave me a look.

"I will!" I said indignantly. "I'm not stupid like the older girls going on diet."

Seriously, why do girls go on freaking diets? The anorexic look is totally not attractive, not to mention if they want boobs they need to eat, to grow those things. Starving your body does no one any good and also that is _torture_! The glutton in me gets very upset at the thought of shying away from food. Yeah, I was a hefty girl before this, must be all the growth hormones in the milk.

I wonder if I would ever hit over one-twenty in this world. Fast food was near non-existent, unless you count street stalls, but even those were still organic, considering, there were no genetically modified plants or steroids pumped into the livestock here. Longevity should be prominent in this world… if not for the dangerous shinobi life and jutsus of mass destruction. Maybe I should start calling it JMD, it totally sounds more threatening.

"Did you even pack lunch yet?" drawled Tesuri.

I paused before face palming. "Damn it, I knew I forgot something."

Tesuri shook his head in amusement as I bounced up to my feet and rushed to the kitchen. Even now, we still lived with Kushina in the same apartment after Minato's death. There was no need for Tesuri and me to move out, considering she needed all the help she could get in caring for Naruto and Tesuri practically lived at the hospital more than half the time.

Since I'm his daughter and seven, I doubt he felt uncomfortable in sharing a room. Heck, in my old life I shared a room with my parents until I was ten. And before you make fun of me, no, I'm not a big baby that needs mommy and daddy to fall asleep. I'm just poor and it's cheaper to share rooms. I've done it many times with roommates during college.

"Kasa," sighed Tesuri. "I think you've made more than enough onigiri."

I paused, glancing down on the ball of rice in my hand and the eleven on the plate. "Damn it!"

"Why don't you pack it up and share it with your teammates?" said Tesuri in amusement. "I'm sure that would help break the ice."

I shrugged, packing the onigiri into a big bento box and filled a thermos with tea. I'm totally abusing the _share_ advice to get my tea fix. _That_ I'm not sharing.

* * *

"…Didn't Kushina-san ban you from tea?" said Itachi dryly when he saw me nursing my thermos cup over the desk.

"Bite me." I retorted with a huff.

"No thanks, I might not be able to sleep tonight," drawled Itachi as he took the seat next to me. "Not with the amount of tea you drank."

I rolled my eyes and glanced around the classroom. "Ha-ha, where's Shisui?"

Itachi shrugged. "I'm not his keeper."

Our conversation was short lived. Come to think of it, without Hana or Shisui around, we really don't have much to say to each other. He's boring as hell. I don't really see why the heck does he have so many female fans gushing over him. Oh, and I don't mean the girls in the academy, I mean the female Narutards. This guy is _so boring_. Sure, he's a major badass in fights, but aside from that, what else could you say about him?

He's a loving brother? So? Does that make him anymore interesting to talk to? What hobbies does he have aside from training? What does he like? What does he not like? Before you tell me to go ask him, I have and let me tell you… Itachi was the most _boring_ child in the world. You think Shikamaru is boring with his cloud watching and lazing about? Itachi beats him in being boring by a long shot.

Damn Uchiha, not only does he have to be a prodigy, he had to be the best in everything. Even in being boring! How do you even do that?

Tap, tap, tap.

I blinked and glanced up when I felt the percussion against the hitai-ate around my forehead. Shisui hovered over the front of my desk in amusement as Itachi pulled away from tapping the metal plate.

"Took you long enough," snorted Itachi.

A grin broke across my face as I adjusted the hitai-ate perched on my forehead. "Ha! I have protection now! You can't poke my forehead anymore!"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "You say that as if I assault your head at every turn."

"You do!" I huffed. "Shisui, you agree with me right?"

"Maybe," chuckled Shisui as he took the remaining seat next to me. "It looks a bit big on you though."

"You think?" I said trying to tie it tighter, but it kept slipping down.

"Maybe you should wear it on top of your head instead," suggested Itachi.

"You just want to poke my head again." I grumbled.

Itachi said nothing while Shisui sniggered. Even miffed with annoyance, I still found myself grinning. Doesn't matter if I'm a seven-year-old brat or a grown woman, something about being around these two eased my nerves.

"Hey look," murmured our fellow graduates behind us. "The three youngest graduates this year."

"How old are they?" whispered another.

"Not sure, but I think the youngest was seven," answered another in an equally hushed voice.

I resisted the urge to sigh, what was it about people, not even children, that makes them think that talking quietly behind someone's back and not expect them to hear? Or were they doing that on purpose?

"I'm not surprised about the boys passing, they're Uchiha after all, but who's the girl?" whispered another.

"Kasa?" said Shisui, drawing my attention back to him.

Damn it, I drifted again, listening to these brats.

"Something wrong?" asked the older boy.

I shook my head. "Just wondering what teams we're going to be on."

"Maybe we'll end up as teammates," grinned Shisui.

"Maybe." I murmured quietly as we waited for Daikoku to come in with the team assignments.

Come to think of it, since I'm dead last in the class, I should technically get teamed with the rookie of the year right? Both Shisui and Itachi were tied for the spot, though for different sections of the exam. The two were even in the written exams and taijutsu practical, but Shisui scored higher in ninjutsu while Itachi scored higher in genjutsu. Kind of unfair to the rest of the graduating class, getting outshined by two brats half their age.

Hmm… actually, it might not be that bad to get them as teammates. They've never failed their genin exam as far as I know. If I get them as teammates, I might be safe from failing. A grin crossed my face as my nerves settled some.

"Team four, Kasa Mon," started Daikoku.

I snapped out of my thoughts, when the heck did he get here? And did he say four? What the hell is with this world giving me the unluckiest number possible? Getting the number four was equivalent to getting number thirteen. Fate was practically telling me to go die.

"Tokuma Hyuga," continued Daikoku as I sat there in confusion. "And Santa Yamanaka."

"What?" I said in confusion before I spoke up. "Wait a sec! How are these teams determined?"

Daikoku sighed. "Kasa, I explained this ten minutes ago."

"…Sorry." I said sheepishly with a hand behind my head. "I wasn't paying attention. Could you repeat that again?"

The class sniggered at my response. "How did this one even pass?"

My blood boiled, I know I shouldn't let the words of snot-nosed brats get to me, but I really abhor anyone calling me stupid. I know I'm far from a genius, but I'm not retarded.

Shisui placed a hand on my arm when he saw my plight. "Let it go Kasa," whispered the boy.

Daikoku sighed again. "I'll explain it one more time, please pay attention."

"Yes sir!" I answered.

"Normally, team assignments are done based on your grades in order to create a balanced team," started Daikoku. "The worst will be placed with the best, those who are weak in one area will be teamed with someone who is strong in that area and vice versa."

I have the worst grade here and Uchiha boys here have the highest. How does that make sense?

"There are exceptions to this rule," continued Daikoku when he noticed the look on my face. "You, Itachi and Shisui would be prime examples here, graduating five to six years below the standard age. While we are very proud of your achievements, we must take into consideration the risks of deploying three extremely young genin into the field with the disadvantage of having a younger and a lesser developed body."

I frowned. I guess that'd make sense. Even if we were all trained to fight and kill at a young age, there's only so much a child could do compared to an adult. Weaker bodies and immature chakra coils, we'd be easy pickings on the field.

"Had you three graduated at the standard age, team dictation would've gone as per norm," continued Daikoku. "I know the three of you are close, but do try to branch out and learn to work with other people, especially you Kasa. Itachi and Shisui are not the only ones around. Try flirting with someone else for a change."

I bashed my head against the desk, the metal plate on my hitai-ate clacked loudly. I'm really starting to love this thing. "Why does everyone think I'm flirting with them?" I whined.

"If we're quite done," continued Daikoku.

"Looks like no one gets Kasa-chan this time, Itachi-chan," grinned Shisui as Daikoku continued to name teams.

Itachi rolled his eyes. "You can have her."

At this point, I stopped listening. I have no clue who any of these people were. Sure, the last names Hyuga and Yamanaka registered and I could guess vaguely what skills they would have, but that tells me nothing about who they are and whether or not Danzo has his claws on them already. I can't remember the roster of ROOT members, but I'm quite sure there was a couple from notable clans.

"Get to know your teammates, your jounin sensei will be here after lunch," noted Daikoku before orientation was over.

Crap, he's done announcing the teams already? Did he mention who the jounin instructor was for each team? I was so worried about possibly having teammates from ROOT, I didn't even think about the threat of having a ROOT member for a jounin sensei! I am so screwed! I whimpered, threading my fingers through my hair and gripping it in a panic.

"Are you okay?" asked Shisui worriedly.

"I'm fine." I mumbled, voice distorted with my nose pressed into the desk.

"She probably just tied her hitai-ate too tight," drawled Itachi.

"Oh shut up Itachi." I grumbled and pulled my head up. "I'm so not going to share the onigiris with you."

Itachi raised a brow as Shisui hid a snicker behind his knuckle.

"My, my Kasa, I didn't know you liked Itachi that much," teased Shisui.

I frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Onigiri is Itachi-chan's favorite," grinned the older Uchiha.

A vein twitched at the bottom of eye. "…You know what? I'm going to share my lunch with my new teammates. You guys can find your own lunch." I said childishly as I hopped out of my seat and glanced through the dispersing graduate class.

Not exactly sure how either of my teammates looked like, but I could at least recognize the Hyuga eyes. Already, a number of the graduates were gathering into groups of three. Most likely because they all shared the same classes and knew one another almost intimately. I huffed in mild annoyance before jumping onto the top of the desk for a better view. I hate being so short! I hope I get a major growth spurt when puberty sets in.

Ignoring the surprised glances, I searched through the lingering students, skipping over the groups of three before I spotted the eyes I was looking for. Seated in the back row with his arms resting on the desk was a quiet pretty boy with featureless white eyes. With a sweep of my hand, I grabbed my things and bounded over the heads of my fellow graduates.

"Hey! Watch where the hell you're going," shouted another boy before I landed a desk away from the Hyuga boy.

"Hiya! You must be Tokuma; I'm Kasa." I greeted the boy cheerily. "Do you know where Santa Yamanaka might be? I thought we could have lunch together since I made extra this morning by accident."

The boy raised a brow. "…How domestic."

I felt the smile on my face strain. What the hell? Was douchebaggery an inherited trait for the prestige families? Come on Kasa, you're mature. Handle it like a civil adult.

"You do know, domestic skills are required in kunoichi lessons for reconnaissance and infiltration right?" I replied. "It's only logical to keep up the practice."

"I suppose you would need to keep up the practice considering you are dead last in ranking," said the Hyuga with a slight wave of a hand.

Oh, fuck civility.

"Do you have a problem with me being dead last?" I snapped, smile gone.

"What makes you think I have an issue?" noted the boy civilly, but I could tell he was mocking me. "I'm simply making an observation."

"I didn't do a single thing to you!" I said, purposely leaving out the _yet_. If he kept up his holier than thou attitude, I might just have to do something about it.

"I never said that," drawled the boy with his hands folded in front of his face. "Someone's being defensive."

"Tokuma, enough," said another voice. I turned to see an auburn-haired boy with a high ponytail. I wonder if that's a Yamanaka thing.

"It's not my fault she's so easy to rile up," drawled the Hyuga with a slight flair of his hand.

"Ignore him," said the Yamanaka boy. "He enjoys being an ass."

"I don't know what you're talking about Santa," said Tokuma as he turned away with an upturn of his nose.

"Sure you don't," droned Santa before turning to me. "You said something about food earlier? I hope your cooking's edible. I'm starved."

Tokuma snorted. "Maybe you should've been born an Akimichi. You sure eat like one."

"Go screw yourself Tokuma," retorted Santa.

My eye twitched as I watched the two go at each other's throats…First impression of new teammates? I hate their guts.

Lunch went by in silence on the rooftop. Tokuma was an asshole with a girly face and Santa was a callous prick. It was hard to start any conversation when it took all my self-control not to shiv them on the spot with a kunai. You know, for a second I really thought maybe I would've been on a team with Itachi and Shisui. Sort of like a fanfic where everything just so happens go conveniently the character's way. Should've known my luck would have never allowed that.

"Your onigiri's edible," commented Santa.

"Gee, thanks." I muttered darkly. You know what? Maybe it's not so bad working under Danzo. At least with him he just wants loyalty and wouldn't go out of his way to be a prick.

"It's a bit dry though," said Tokuma as he munched on his portion.

"Then get your own drink. I'm not sharing." I huffed, nursing the only cup to the thermos.

"So much for sharing lunch," droned Tokuma dryly.

"Get bent!" I snapped back.

"How unrefined," drawled Tokuma.

I bit back a groan as I placed a hand to my head, but growled when the hitai-ate was in the way. "God damn it." I hissed under my breath as I shoved the hitai-ate onto the top of my head so I could press my fingers against the center of my forehead.

It doesn't matter that my head was exposed, it's not like it was in danger of being poked by Itachi or someone dangerous. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that two little boys managed riled me up enough to force me to refocus. This team thing wasn't going well with me.

Okay, maybe I was being a little unfair. I know nothing about these two. I shouldn't be so quick to judge.

"So…" I pulled the hitai-ate back down to cover my forehead before lighting a grin on my face. "We might have gotten off on the wrong foot somehow. How about we start over again and get to know each other a little?"

"What's there worth knowing about a dead last like you?" drawled Tokuma. "You should've waited another year or two before you took the exam. Maybe you would've gotten a better grade than dead last."

I felt my eye twitch despite the forced myself to keep the smile on my face. "Humor me, considering we've know nothing about each other. You have to have something you like or aspire to be right?"

"Hmm…" hummed Tokuma as he glanced up to the sky. "What was that you said earlier about a drink? Oh, that's right. I'm not sharing."

I chewed my inner cheek. Keep it together Kasa. He's just a stupid little brat. All preteens are full of themselves. Don't fall to their level.

"You're going to finish that?" asked Santa before he snatched my cup and downed the last of my tea.

I let out a slow shaking breath as I pressed a hand against my eyes. Calm down, don't get angry. Remember you're physically seven and you'll get your ass kicked if you pick a fight with someone from a clan that specialized in taijutsu. Not sure how the fight would end up if I decided to pick a fight with a Yamanaka, but knowing my luck, he would probably kick my ass somehow even without swiping my body.

Stop thinking, think of something else. Anything else. I found myself staring at the Yamanaka boy as he munched on another onigiri… How the heck was he packing away those things? I had two and I was full already. I'm surprised he's not a roly-poly sort of guy… though… it'd be pretty funny if he were, especially if he had a red suit and a white beard.

"Ninja Santa." I pressed a knuckle to my lips as I bit back a snort of laughter.

Now that I thought about it, how many people could claim they have Santa on their team? Sure, he's not exactly the jolly old man on the sled delivering gifts to children around the world, but the thought of a ninja Santa Claus was hilarious! Can you imagine, Santa bellowing ho-ho-ho as he rains death and weapons upon you made by his loyal elves and then summon a horde of reindeers to plow you into the ground in a stampede. Santa would totally be a weapon specialist and summoner. How badass is that?

Yeah, I know you're probably thinking I'm insane at this point since it's not even pronounced the same way, but come on! You have to agree the ninja Santa concept is awesome!

"What's so funny?" asked Santa as he finished off the last of the onigiri.

"N-nothing." I grinned innocently, but the mirth was clear in my eyes as I tried to keep myself from laughing my ass off.

"It's obvious, she's a bit off her kilter," said Tokuma as he clapped his hands clean. "It's about time we head—" He never finished as his eyes widened and he quickly darted towards me.

Startled confusion crossed my face at his sudden aggressive movement, but that was quickly ignored when a lengthy chain wrapped around my body and squeezed the breath out of my lungs. I didn't get a chance to recover as the chain whipped again and I was yanked off my feet. My body felt weightless as I hung in the air for a moment before the chain changed direction, dragging me towards the edge in midair.

"Shit!" I cursed as the roof disappeared beneath me and everything slowed as if played in slow-mo.

My body felt light as it hung in the air and my eyes darted about trying to take in everything at once. In my struggle, I spotted a cloaked figure reining the chains holding me. His face was obscured by the shadows of his hood, but his arms were shackled with the very chains imprisoning me. There was something wrong with this picture. Who the hell would be ballsy enough to kidnap someone in broad daylight in the middle of a ninja village?

Not even Danzo would be that daringly obvious. If he wanted to kidnap me, he would've done it in the dead of night or when I was alone. Whoever this was, he definitely had balls. I wiggled and squirmed against the chains, but to no avail, it didn't budge in the least. The chains felt almost alive with the amount of chakra coursing through it.

The world sped up, I had no clue where we were going; the man kept dragging me further away from the main part of the village and quickly into the forest. At some point, I was quite sure the man got away from Tokuma and Santa. Damn it! I'm not about to let myself get kidnapped.

"Let me go! I demand you to let me go! Stop making me the damn damsel in distress! I freaking hate being in distress!" I shouted loudly. "What the hell is it with you people always making the girl the damsel? Why can't you kidnap the guys for a change? Seriously! Stop being so sexist and even out the kidnapping would you?"

The chain whipped around and I felt myself flipped upside down as I hung in front of the face of my captor. "You should really be more careful with what you say. After all, you are my hostage now," said the man, his voice deep and commanding.

"Screw you!" I snarled. "I've spent the last hour with two dickwads for teammates after stressing over whether or not I could be a genin. Whatever the hell you're planning to do with me, I'm going to make your life a living hell!"

"I would like to see you try," drawled the man.

"You're such a clichéd villain!" I growled, pulsing chakra to my hand and concentrating it into strands of chakra. With a flex of my fingers the chakra strands whipped about, latching onto the seal rings and pulling them slowly off my digits. I had to concentrate, can't say I'm a natural marionette. It was hard enough to maintain these strands as it is.

"Childish insults will get you nowhere," continued the man.

"Why don't you say it to my face?" I snapped.

"You really need to learn your place," said the man as he drew me closer with his chains.

Come on, just a little closer… Yes! With a flick of my wrist and the rings dropped like yo-yos, flying at the man's face. It took me weeks to get the hang of manipulating each strand independent from the other strands and even longer to have them move the way I wanted them to. Frowning, I focused on latching the rings onto the man's limbs and torso in an attempt to seal off his chakra.

"Feeble," said the man as he severed my chakra strands with two glowing fingers, no doubt charged with chakra. Damn it, he wasn't even the least bit phased by this! "Your seals are useless if you can't activate them fast enough."

I watched helplessly as the rings dropped to the ground. Shit, that was the only defense I had! He was careful to keep me at a distance. While I can't do anything like Tsunade where she completely fucks up your nervous system to the point you can't even stand, I could disrupt someone's chakra control by shooting excess chakra into their system.

"What will you do now?" asked my captor.

"I…" I bit my lower lip.

As much as I wanted say fuck it all and flip him the bird, I couldn't. I was clearly outclassed and helpless at this point, not to mention still tied up. Where was help when you need it?

"Kasa!" snapped Santa, his voice coming from out of nowhere.

I perked up at my name. Did they catch up somehow? I frowned when I saw no one coming out from the foliage. No, that's not it. Something's not right.

"They're genin, they're not going to be able to save you," drawled the man. "If anything, they will only get themselves caught."

Again with the insults, but… it didn't seem right. They seemed… generic? "…You never told me why you wanted me as a hostage." I said with a frown. "What exactly do you want me for?"

"It's none of your concern," said the man.

There it was again. The vague answers, the clichéd villain dialogues. What…Then it clicked. This wasn't real. I've been stuck in a genjutsu!

Flaring chakra to my head, I let out a scream. "KAI!"

The forest disappeared and I was back on the roof again, still chained by my captor, my rings laid on the floor by Tokuma's feet.

"You're such a hassle," said Tokuma in annoyance.

The side of his eyes bulged out with veins from the byakugan. He stood defensively, guarding Santa's prone body behind him. The auburn-haired boy was slumped to his knees, Mind Transfer Jutsu maybe? At the sight of the Hyuga's glowing hands, I figured he severed my chakra strands. Ooh, that wouldn't have been pretty if I ended up sealing his chakra instead. I seriously need some defense against genjutsu.

"Good thing those didn't hit you, right?" I said sheepishly, but the Hyuga didn't share my humor.

"Dead lasts don't get to joke," retorted Tokuma.

"Well, _excuse me_." I snapped back. "If you haven't noticed yet, I'm busy being held hostage. If you want me to do something then get me out of this!"

"Ugh, why are you two at each other's throats already?" said Santa in annoyance as he stood up rolling his neck and rubbing out the slight soreness from siting prone with is head lulling to the side.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take you," huffed Tokuma.

"How about you free her next time? I'm quite sure you're excellent with the Mind Transfer Jutsu," said Santa dryly.

"As if you can defend me if I could," replied Tokuma.

"_Hello!_" I grumbled in singsong. "Still a hostage if anyone cares!"

"Of course we don't, why else would be bother freeing you," retorted Tokuma sarcastically before directing his attention to the stranger. "I don't know what you want with the dead last, but she's not really worth kidnapping."

"Gee thanks!" I snapped before the chains whipped again and I was drawn closer to my captor. His hand latched out and grabbed me by the chains. "Let me go!"

"How did any of you ever become ninjas?" said the man in annoyance. "Bickering like children and insulting one another as if you were in the schoolyard."

"Technically, I'm seven, I still count as a child in most places." I slipped in a wisecrack.

The man scowled as he looked down at me. My body tensed when I saw red eyes looking back at me. The sharingan? I couldn't see his face through the shadows, but somehow the eyes stood out in the darkness. Shit, was this Madara?

"Insult us all you want, but we're not letting you take her! Dead last or not, she's our teammate and we're not about to abandon her," noted Tokuma.

I glanced at the boy in surprise. Didn't he have something against me earlier? Or was he like every other prick in this world that just enjoys bullying me? What am I? A bully magnet? First Itachi, then Shisui, and now Tokuma? I am so punching the next person that dares to claim he only bullies me because he likes me. It's bad enough with Itachi and Shisui, I don't need another one to the list!

"Then come and take her from me," said the man. His free hand moved to grip me by the throat and pulled in front of him as if I was his personal shield.

I gagged at the sudden forcefulness. Tokuma and Santa stood rooted to their spot, teeth gritted and fists clenched. We were at a disadvantage with me hostage.

"If you come closer, I'll end her here. If you dare leave to get help, I'll end her here," said the man as he held me closer and the chains tightened. "What are you going to do?"

I bit back a scream as my body lurched from the pain.

"Damn it!" hissed Tokuma.

"Tokuma, we could try—"

"No! He's already seen you use it once already. You're lucky that you even managed to hit the dead last the first time around," said Tokuma.

Gods, I'm so not listening to this! It's going to be one of those multi-chapter explanations or even worse, multi-episode talking!

"Fuck this." I hissed before charging up chakra in my hand and slapped it with force behind me. The chains made it hard to move, but since he was holding me fairly close, I had a good shot.

The instant my hand made contact, the chains loosened.

"What?" hissed the man in surprise, but he kept a firm grip on my neck.

His chains didn't completely come apart and hit the ground, but there was enough wiggle space to free my arms. With his other hand occupied, I took it as a chance to charge another handful of chakra and tried to slap it into his chest. Realizing what I did the first time, he released my neck and hastily backed off. His chain arm grew taut as he yanked at the jingling metal links again.

"Shit!" I hissed, bracing myself for another round of swing Kasa like a ragdoll, but it never came as Tokuma caught the chain with glowing hands. His feet were planted firmly to the ground and his hands were reinforced with chakra to handle the enemy's weapon.

"Hurry up Santa!" said Tokuma. "I won't be able to hold this for long."

"Don't rush me!" said Santa as he loosened the chains further and yanked me out of the tangled weapon.

"How naïve," said the man before he whipped the chains one more time. Before we knew it, the chains came to life and ensnarled each and every one of us.

"What?" said Tokuma in surprise as he watched the chains cascade and crash around us like waves.

In seconds, all three of us were chained up and dropped to the ground.

Crap, crap, crap! My heart raced a mile a minute. What the hell do I do? All three of us were captured now! There's no chance of escaping or calling for help. The man made his way towards us, stopping short only a couple of feet. I kept my eyes to the ground, terrified that he might drop me into another illusion.

"What a disappointment," started the man in annoyance.

"What do you want?" demanded Tokuma. "If you think you can get out of this village, lugging around three hostages, you're sorely mistaken!"

"Quiet," said the man as he tightened the chains around us. We all bit back a grunt of pain. "I only need one hostage. I could kill off two of you if I need silence."

Shit, how did things go so down south? How could I be that freaking unlucky? I was totally joking about the superstition about how the number four was a bad omen for death. I didn't expect it to actually happen!

"Still I have some time to spare. How about I let you decide who I kill?" said the man.

The three of us fell into silence. How could we choose? None of us wanted to die, but at the same time, could we really damn the other two? I bit my lower lip. Could I live knowing I ended the lives of two children? I know as a ninja, at some point I'm required to kill someone. In this world, it was kill or be killed. Niceties like mercy was not something you can indulge in unless you're powerful enough to defend yourself.

I glanced briefly at the two boys by my side. So young, barely even teens yet… I can't do it. I can't let these kids die just so I have a chance to live. I've already lived once, while it wasn't very long, I at least got to experience a decade more of life than them. They're nothing more than stupid little soldiers right now. They deserve a chance to make something of themselves. My body trembled as I forced my nerves to settle.

"I volunteer." My voice cracked as the words left my mouth.

"What?" said the man in confusion. Both Tokuma and Santa turned to me in surprise.

"I said," I started slowly with a silly grin spreading across my face. "I volunteer as tribute."

They stared at me dumbfounded. I'm totally the queen of killing the mood. This is totally not the time to be pulling random references like that out of my ass, but I couldn't help it. That was the perfect chance to use that line and if I'm going to die, I might as well go out doing something I could laugh about. Oh, this is going to be fun.

"… You do know, you're volunteering to die, right?" noted the man.

"Yep." I chirped. "You made it pretty clear. Only one of us can survive."

"…And you're certain on that?" said the man slowly.

"Absolutely." I nodded before someone head-butted me from behind. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"You idiot! Why would you choose yourself?" snapped Tokuma.

"Why not?" I retorted. "He said we get to choose. How come I can't choose myself?"

"It doesn't work that way you moron!" joined in Santa.

"I know how it works!" I huffed.

"Obviously not!" growled Tokuma before turning his attention to our captor. "Ignore this idiot, she doesn't know what she's talking about. She's not worth killing. She's hardly even a threat. I on the other hand could pose as a challenge."

"What the hell?" I snapped. "How come _you_ can volunteer and I can't? And you better not give me some sexist answer! Because I will beat you!"

"As if you can!" retorted Tokuma.

"Not again!" groaned Santa. "Please just kill me before they get into another fight! Seriously, I'll take death over listening to them bicker."

"Hey! Get your own thing! I volunteered first!" I said, annoyed.

"Dead lasts doesn't get to choose!" snorted Tokuma.

"Shut it Tokuma!" I returned.

"Can you two stop fighting for once?"

"No, he started it!"

"As if!"

Not exactly sure how this turned into a three-way argument, but eventually our captor got annoyed and bashed all three of us over the heads.

"Ow…" We grimaced.

"All you shut up! I don't even know why I bothered with this. I should just fail the three you and kick you back to the Academy!" snapped the man.

We glanced up at him in surprise. "…Huh?"

"What do you mean?" asked Tokuma with a frown.

The man huffed in annoyance as he pulled the hood back, revealing the Konoha hitai-ate around his head. I blinked in surprise when I noticed his red eyes weren't the sharingan. There were no tomoe in his eyes and furthermore, I think they were actually natural. Huh…that's… interesting.

"It means you lot have about five minutes before I decide whether or not to ship you back to the Academy for remedial classes. Never before have I seen genin candidates act so poorly!" snapped the man.

"Wait, what do you mean candidates? We graduated already!" argued Santa.

The man snorted. "That graduation was meant to filter out those with no potential in becoming a ninja. It means nothing when the jounin in charge decides you're unsuited for, for the field."

"We weren't told about this!" snapped Tokuma.

"That's the point," said the man. "We don't need little puppets, we want shinobi that could think on their feet and adapt to any situation, while working in tandem with others. We don't need constant bickering from children."

"…This was a test of teamwork?" said Santa in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me! How the heck are we supposed to figure that out from you kidnapping one of us and then kicking our asses?"

I frowned as I mulled over what happened. It was a bit unconventional and odd. From the series, Team Seven had the traditional bell test, but I suppose not everyone uses it or else there would be some sort of gossip about it. Ambushing us on the spot would be a good way to candidly test on how well we worked together and whether or not if we had any bad social habits. Though, from the looks of this conversation, I think we flunked it.

"Damn it." I sighed, dejected. "The kidnap and ambush was supposed to test out how well we react to a teammate in distress and in the hands of the enemy wasn't it? Where did we go wrong? If you don't mind me asking?"

It's kind of pointless now, but I still wanted to hear it. At least I'd know how badly I failed.

The man snorted. "At least someone here knows they've done wrong."

I said nothing, I don't think I did anything wrong, but I'm not about to tell him that. Seriously, if you get kidnapped, how well do you think you can handle the situation? I think I handled it pretty well.

"Let's start with you then," said the man as he stared down at Tokuma, who glared up at him. "You obviously saw the attack coming at your teammate, but instead of warning them, you went straight towards the enemy to engage in combat. That was inconsiderate and reckless. Had you shouted her a warning; she might've been able to dodge the attack and maybe not get into the hostage situation you've all faced."

Tokuma scowled, turning his face away.

"Then there's you," said the jounin as he looked pointedly at Santa. "Like the first one, you're reckless, rushing into matters and using a volatile jutsu that requires absolute stillness. Had I not moved your teammate into position, you would've left your remaining teammate at a further disadvantage with two incapacitated teammates."

Santa mulled over his words quietly.

"Lastly," he turned to me with a glare. "You are by far, the most reckless of the group, so ready to attack when you're obviously no match. Your temper fairs no better, since you riled up your teammates into a frenzy instead of assisting them. I've never seen such a hot-headed team in my life!"

We all frowned at his words, but at the same time something clicked in my mind.

"You said we had five minutes before you decide to send us back." I interrupted. "That meant you saw something you liked or else you wouldn't bother talking to us."

Seeing what I was implying, Santa quickly joined in. "It wasn't fair that we were never given a heads up. I know it's supposed to be a test, but since we're not even considered genin, we should be given an advance notice. After all, in mission assignments, all shinobi were given briefings before they venture off."

"And your test is not in our favor," added Tokuma. "While Santa and I have known each other for some time, today was the first time we met her." He nodded towards me when he noted her. "It's obvious we won't be able to work together immediately, but given time, I think we could work around it. If we don't have a natural inclination in teamwork, we could overcome it with practice and training."

"Yeah! Our bickering was just a way to get to know each other! I've never seen a shinobi rule that doesn't allow bickering as a means to build relationships." I quipped.

"Really?" said Tokuma dryly. "That's the best you can come up with?"

"Oh shut it, you only know how to talk out of your ass." I snorted.

"Guys stop it," said Santa warningly. "We're trying to convince him not to fail us, not give him more reason to fail us faster."

Tokuma and I shared a silent truce before glancing at Santa. With a nod, the three of us turned to the red-eyed jounin with a determined glare.

"We demand a retest!" said Tokuma.

"If it's teamwork you want, we'll have the best teamwork you'll ever see," said Santa.

"If we still fail, we'll fail as a team." I finished.

We watched with bated breath as the man planted a hand on his hip and studied us. I forced myself not to back down from the stern look on his face. There was something intimidating about this man. Now that I think about it, he looks… familiar?

"Hmph," huffed the man as the sound of mild annoyance escaped from his throat. "Trust my luck that I end up with the group of reckless genins."

Our breaths caught at our throats. The chains dropped around us as he retracted his lengthy weapon.

"Did you…?" I started and the man glanced at me with a dry look. "Does that mean…?"

"At this point, I don't think any other jounin can handle a group of reckless, self-sacrificing genins. So, until the three of you reach chunin. You all have the pleasure of going through my self-preservation training," said the man.

The biggest grin crossed my face. "I don't care if you put me through hell! I just want to hear those beautiful words of confirmation!" I nearly squealed.

Tokuma had his arms crossed, trying to look cool, but I could see it on his face that he was waiting for it just as much as I was.

Santa rolled his eyes. "You might as well get it over with sensei or she might just keep bugging you," suggested the auburn-haired boy. "By the way, what is your name anyway?"

The man snorted. "It took you this long to ask? I think I might have to add a lesson in priorities to the team regime."

"Who cares! Sensei, just say it already!" I whined, but the annoyance was only superficial. The giddiness coursing through my body gave it away.

Mildly annoyed, the man sighed. "I, jounin Kurei Yuhi, declare Team Four passes."

"WOOT!" I jumped up in glee and raised a hand to Tokuma and Santa. "Give me a high-five! Cause I'm a ninja!"

"No," said Tokuma bluntly.

I puffed up my cheeks. "Buzz-kill!"

"Dead last," retorted the Hyuga.

"Asshole!" I continued.

"Spazz," returned the other.

"Oh would you two please stop it already?" sighed Santa exasperatedly.

I get the feeling that bickering would be a big part of Team Four... Team Four Star? Nah, just kidding! This was going to be…different.

* * *

Author's notes: Sorry for the pause in updates, I was trying to settle on the final teams and I had to rewrite the second test several times before I was happy with it. Though, it was kind of funny to get reviews asking where the heck I was. No, I'm not dead. The chapters might get a little slower from here on, just because I need to work out some kinks, but I will try to get at least one chapter per week, if I can. If not, once every two weeks. Hopefully, it doesn't get pushed back to once a month or something.

Second point, Kasa's jounin sensei and teammates are all canon characters. Kurei was a name I added since he didn't have a listed name. Most of them don't really have much personality from what I've seen, so I'm taking artistic liberty in doing what I deem fun. Canon lovers, uh… it's kind of too late to go there, so if you guys still want to rant about it, sorry.

Third Point, I'm sorry for everyone who wanted the Umbrella Fan team (ha, see what I did there?), but I promise they will work together some point in the future. As a team or something else? You'll just have to wait and find out.


	22. Chapter Twenty-One: Genin Days

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Genin Days**

"White lotus in position," said Tokuma via headset.

"Mullein in position," continued Santa.

"How come we're not using the codenames I chose yesterday?" I complained over the radio.

"Because the ones you chose were meaningless," retorted Tokuma.

"No, they're not! Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin totally have meaning behind it." I grumbled.

"Kasa, are you in position?" sighed our jounin sensei Kurei.

"Yeah, yeah. Rainflower in position. Santa, that is the least creative flower you could've picked for me! Rainflower! Seriously?" I grumbled. "How come I can't be white lotus instead of Tokuma?"

"You do know, if you keep saying everyone's names, it defeats the purpose of having codenames to begin with right?" drawled Tokuma.

"… Shut up." I muttered.

"You know I'm right," said the other in amusement.

"Can we _please_ finish the mission? Why do you two always have to bicker?" sighed Kurei.

"I see the target!" said Santa. "On three!"

"Three!" I shouted, grinning as I waited to see if anyone jumped out.

"Kasa…" said Kurei warningly. No one fell for it.

"Okay, okay! It was joke!" I grumbled.

"One, two, three!" shouted Santa before we all darted out from our hiding places.

"Target's running!" said Tokuma through our headsets.

"I got it covered!" I said as I reached back to grab my brand new weapon.

After taking us as his students, Kurei took us to a weapon shop and promptly had a weapon specialist find each of us a compatible weapon. He seemed quite determined to hammer in some form of offensive skill into the three of us. I doubt we could become weapon specialists, but I suppose we managed well enough… if you could call it that.

Of the three of us, Santa probably had the most, due to his natural leaning towards traps. Caltrops, kunai, metal wires and a variety of shurikens, he had so many that he needed to carry storage scrolls to hold them all. He probably hit Kurei's wallet the hardest out of the three of us. Sadly, his shurikenjutsu was far from perfect, especially when compared side-to-side with Itachi…

Fine, maybe that was a little unfair to compare him with a prodigy, but what other example could I give? He couldn't use it on the fly like Itachi in direct combat, but he could set up a pretty damn good trap. Santa, I do not want as an enemy. Whether his name reminds me of Santa Claus or the fact that he could turn me into a pincushion.

Now, Tokuma is a spoony bard. Why am I calling him a spoony bard? Because his weapon is a freaking instrument and he's practically useless in combat. I kid you not; he was most compatible with a shamisen. For those who don't know what that is, it's a three-stringed instrument that plays like a banjo… Why was he born in Konoha rather than Oto, I have no clue. How the heck do you use that thing as a weapon? I've never seen him use it during training.

Ah, whatever. Kurei gives each of us personal lessons once a week, which meant the other two, were free to relax or train on their own. I don't get the luxury of relaxing. Not with medical training with Tesuri and Rin, while Naruto scurried about.

Oh yeah, you want to guess what weapon I got? I'll give you three guesses… but you probably only need one. I swear, this world has a ridiculous sense of humor. My weapon… is an _umbrella_. Who didn't see that coming?

With a firm grip, I forced it open, using it like a blockade. Compared to a normal umbrella, a weaponize umbrella was tougher and took tons more abuse. It was the main reason why I didn't argue against having this as a weapon, despite the horrible puns that were sure to come. I needed the defense just as much as the offense and this thing offered both… Wish it didn't cost so much though…

Sure, this one was a gift from Kurei, we each got a gift, but if I break it, I have to go buy a replacement… and let me tell you, this thing was not cheap. While it's not the most expensive weaponize umbrella on the market, it wasn't your common everyday rain umbrella either. A common umbrella was about a hundred ryo; this thing was at least ten thousand. Now, let's tackle my worst subject, math. If ten ryo equals to a dollar, how much does ten thousand ryo convert to?

Mind you, this was a starter umbrella. A quality umbrella weapon could go into the hundreds of thousands. A D-rank mission pays about five to fifteen thousand ryo and that's split between the team. A portion of that goes to taxes and another portion goes into restocking supplies, if I happened to use anything. Then of course, there were the team outings after training and we all go out for food and whatever.

I'll let you mull on how many D-rank missions I need to upkeep my lifestyle before I could get a decent weapon. Thank god I don't' have to pay for housing since Kushina and Tesuri had that covered. Don't care if I'm a moocher, I'll chip in when I have more money. It's going to be a long while before I could get C-ranked missions. Kakashi must've been one BAMF, if he managed chunin at age six.

"Reow," mewed our target, looking mildly annoyed as she sat in front of my umbrella.

"About time!" I huffed in annoyance as I closed my umbrella and heft it to my shoulder.

"How many more of these D-ranks do we have to do?" Tokuma all but growled.

We've been doing D-ranked missions for the past six weeks with plenty of training in between each mission. I'm quite sure he's sick of working as a gardener, a janitor, a baby-sitter, a kitchen aide and a cat catcher. Personally, I'm okay with doing all that sort of work… except the cat catching bit.

"Don't care, but we are so not taking a Tora mission again!" I grumbled, hiding behind Tokuma as the cat waved its tail lazily.

"Get over your fear of cats would you? Santa's in control of the cat, he's not going to attack you," sighed Tokuma in annoyance as he stepped away from me. "This is ridiculous! You can handle playing with the giant Inuzuka dogs, but you're terrified of this thing?"

"Shut up! Cats are evil." I muttered darkly as I edged away.

The cat rolled her eyes; no doubt Santa was exasperated by my words. As our trap expert and our _only_ real fighter, he was the only one that could handle the demon cat. Yes, I know, we have a Yamanaka as our main fighter. Not to harp on them, but the Yamanaka Clan was more suitable for infiltration and espionage, but Santa is pretty decent short-ranged fighter.

Surprisingly, Tokuma was better in infiltration and recon related work. You would think Tokuma would be a taijutsu badass, considering Neji was also from the Branch House… but then again, Neji was an anomaly compared to the rest of his clansmen. Oh, forget I said anything, we're not going to have a Hyuga as a fighter in this team.

"Good job," noted Kurei as he appeared with Santa's prone body on his back. "We can take Tora back to the admin building and call it a day."

"Sensei, when are we going to get something more interesting?" asked Tokuma in annoyance. "All these D-ranks were nothing more than practice. I don't need to study civilians in order to imitate them and I don't need pet cats to sharpen my hunting skills. I could take on a C-ranked infiltration or retrieval mission with no issue."

"You're not ready yet," answered Kurei bluntly.

"I can do this!" growled Tokuma.

"My word is final," said Kurei. "Even if you think you're ready, are your teammates ready?"

The Hyuga wanted to say something, but he stopped himself.

"This is your team, you don't move without your team," said Kurei.

Tokuma grumbled darkly, crossing his arms in a huff.

"Kasa, you're carrying Tora back," said the stern man as he turned his attention to me. "You do need to get over your irrational fear of cats."

My face paled as flashes of my childhood went through my mind. "No! Anything but that!" I squeaked backing away.

"Kasa, this is an order. Santa's in control of the cat, he won't attack you, if that's what you're afraid of," said the man.

"Trust me, if you put me near a cat for that long, I might just go Neko-ken on you." I edged away, trying to hide behind Tokuma, but he sidestepped my attempt.

"…Neko-ken?" said Kurei with a raised brow.

"…Okay, maybe not Neko-ken, I'm not a badass like that, but trust me, bad things happen when I stay around cats." I said seriously.

"… Do I even want to understand you?" exhaled Tokuma in mild annoyance.

Okay, maybe I'm not making a lot of sense here, but trust me when I say cats and I don't get along very well. They may look cute and sometimes maybe cuter than dogs, but those things are pure evil. They'll stalk you and pounce with claws at the ready. I am so not reliving that memory to clarify why the hell I don't like cats. I just don't and let's just leave it at that!

"Kasa, carry the cat," said Kurei in a deadpan. I'm quite sure if his hands were free, he would pinch the bridge of his nose.

I cringed, trying to inch away, but the cat sighed and made its way towards me. "Santa, don't you dare!" I said backing away some more until I found my back pinned against a tree.

"What kind of shinobi are you?" snorted Tokuma. "Getting terrified of a cat of all things? You're an embarrassment."

"Embarrassment?" I growled. "I'll show you embarrassment!"

I know I should've ignored the obvious bait, but something about assholes from prestige families pisses me off. Ten minutes later, we made our way back to the admin office… highly embarrassed.

"…Just give me the damn cat!" hissed Tokuma, his face red from the giggling whispers all around us. "Everyone is staring at us."

"Nooo!" I cried tears of fear as I kept the cat at arm's length in front of me. "I could do this!"

"…Not if you're going to bawl while doing so! Give me the cat," snapped Tokuma as he reached for the evil incarnate in my hands.

"No!" I retorted childishly as I darted off ahead.

"Give me the cat Kasa!" growled Tokuma as he chased after me.

"You can't make me!" I snapped back as I dodged his attempts at grabbing the cat.

However, I didn't get far as I crashed into someone outside the admin office. I seriously need to work on my sensing abilities. I'm getting sick of running into things.

"Reow!" screeched the cat as she darted out of my hands.

"Kasa! Grab it!" shouted Santa from behind. "I lost my grip on her!"

"Damn it!" I scrambled to get up, but a hand caught the cat before she could run away.

"I didn't know you were scared of cats," snickered a familiar voice. I glanced up before a bright grin spread across my face.

"Obito!" I said in glee, but refrained from tackling him with a hug. As much as I'm fond of Obito, even I wouldn't hug him if he has a cat in hand.

"How's it going?" asked the former Uchiha as he lifted the flailing cat by the scruff of her neck. "Hello Tora, nice to see you're still bringing terror to all geinin."

The cat snarled swiping a paw at his face, but he easily pulled her away before she could.

"You're interrupting her team's mission," said Kakashi as he snatched Tora out of his hand. "She lost the cat, so she'll have to retrieve it herself."

"Wait don't—" I dived to catch the cat as he let Tora go, I am not chasing after the damn thing again. Tora struggled and fought with all her might, but I managed to hold her tightly in my arms.

"Oh look, you're not that scared of it after all," said Kakashi with a sadistic sort of cheeriness.

Promptly, my gut turned and I realized that I did what I was trying to avoid the whole time. I felt a cold chill go down my spine as the cat turned to me with an evil glint in her eyes and swung a clawed paw at my face. I let out a painful screech as she started her assault. You know that opening with Team Seven going after Tora? And then once Naruto caught it, Tora swiftly kicked his ass with stomps and rapid kicks. You thought the show was just being funny and over-exaggerated how bad Naruto was.

No, you were wrong. It wasn't an over-exaggeration. Tora is a freaking taijutsu master! I kid you not! She is well versed in the arts of Neko-ken! Now wonder the damn thing lived so long. Taijutsu masters in this world tended to live much longer if they don't get killed. Tokuma took pity on me when my body was beaten and twitching on the ground. With quick gentle-fist jabs, he knocked the cat out and hauled her into his arms. Why the hell didn't he do that in the first place?

"Kakashi, you sadist," sighed Obito with a shake of his head as he helped me up.

"…No more cats…" I said as I rubbed at my bruises.

"If you gave me the damn cat, we could've avoided all this," grumbled Tokuma.

"Shut it Tokuma!" I grumbled before turning to Obito. "Are you off on another mission again? I haven't seen you in ages!"

Obito grinned brightly. "I'm not called the Flaming Obito for nothing! A-ranked missions all the way!"

"…Pft." I covered my juvenile laugh behind my hand. "Flaming? Of all the names people could've given you, flaming stuck?"

"I'm really good with fire-based attacks!" argued Obito.

"He doesn't have a title," drawled Kakashi. "He just got jealous that I got one and decided to give himself one. It hasn't stuck yet… Though, that one was an interesting choice. Are you trying to tell us something Obito?"

"What?" asked Obito, completely oblivious to what Kakashi said.

"He's still in denial," sighed the silver-haired jounin in mock exasperation.

I nearly died laughing.

"Kasa," said Kurei sternly as he made his way to us with Santa close behind.

I stopped laughing and turned to him sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Yuhi-san," greeted both Obito and Kakashi.

My jounin sensei gave an acknowledging nod as he glanced to Kakashi. "You've grown."

"Everyone grows," said Kakashi in return before grabbing Obito by the back of his flak jacket. "If you will excuse us, we have a mission to attend to. We're behind schedule as is."

"I said I was sorry!" grumbled Obito.

"Getting a cat out from a tree is not a valid excuse," said Kakashi as he dragged Obito off.

…I got the feeling there's more to it in this conversation, but I'm not one to step into people's personal business. Besides, my team still has a mission to complete.

"Oh, my Tora!" gushed the hefty woman as she grabbed Tora out of Tokuma's hands and proceeded to squeeze it to death like Elmyra.

"Poor cat," whispered Santa.

"It could take it." I grumbled back.

"Team Four finished missions faster than most new genin teams," mused Hiruzen as he glanced through the list of D-rank missions.

My ears perked up at that. "Faster than Itachi and Shisui's teams?" I asked with a grin.

"It wouldn't be fair for me to tell you," said Hiruzen in good humor. "Now what mission should I give Team Four next?"

"Hokage-sama, is it possible for something more challenging?" asked Tokuma. "A C-ranked maybe?"

"Mind your words Tokuma, I told you, you're not ready yet," said Kurei.

"Hokage-sama noted we finish missions faster than most teams, which meant we're more than ready for something more challenging," argued Tokuma.

Oh good lord, why does this feel like the start of the Wave Mission? Its eleven years too early!

"Tokuma," said Kurei warningly.

"I'm requesting, not demanding," retorted Tokuma challengingly.

Kurei said nothing else.

…Scratch that, the Wave mission doesn't sound so bad. I could risk dying, compared to what might come in the near future. Nothing good ever comes out when Kurei sensei stops talking. We are so dead.

"I do believe there is a C-ranked escort mission," said Hiruzen in amusement.

"We'll take it, " said Tokuma before Kurei could put in a word.

"…Shouldn't we learn a bit more about the mission before we accept it?" I added weakly.

The old man chuckled. "Not to worry. Technically, this is a D-ranked mission, but the person requesting it was a bit… let's just say enthusiastic."

"Enthusiastic?" I asked warily. Enthusiastic was a nice way of calling someone psychotic or dangerous. Or was that for eccentric? Regardless, neither word was good to hear when used in wry amusement.

"I'm quite sure you're familiar with this client Kasa," said Hiruzen in amusement.

"What?" I almost dropped the word in deadpan. Someone I know is definitely not something I wanted to hear in a mission.

"You can let him in now," said Hiruzen.

The door opened slightly before we spotted a tiny hand grasping at the door's edge at roughly two feet. I blinked when a familiar head of blond hair popped through curiously and peeked into the room.

"…Naruto?" I said in confusion. What the heck?

The little boy turned at the call of his name. "Sa-sa!" His face lit up as he hurried towards me in an awkward hop-skip waddle.

Naruto was a little over thirteen months old; his motor skills still had some ways to go and his speech coherency could use a couple more years. Aside from random household things and his own version of everyone's names, it was near impossible to make out what the hell he's saying more than half the time. And that's only if you living with him and know his little quirks.

Kakashi and Obito couldn't make out a thing he says since they're always off on missions. Apparently, Obito was promoted jounin at some point during my two-year trip, who knew. Rin on the other hand was mostly stationed at the hospital and had an easier time to stop by and visit. Actually, I think Rin was probably Naruto's favorite person aside from Kushina. Or it could be that I'm a tiny and he probably doesn't see me as someone much older… Gods, I hope puberty gives me some height.

"…Hokage-sama, are you telling us our client is this toddler?" said Tokuma in a deadpan.

"It's a minor escort mission," said Hiruzen in good humor. "To the Uchiha district."

"Uchiha district?" said Santa in disbelief. "That's inside the village! Why would he even need an escort?"

I knelt down to catch the excited Naruto as he tackled me with a hug and babbled incoherently. "Uh… where's Kushina-san?" I asked.

"She has a special mission to attend to, but she shouldn't take too long," noted Hiruzen.

"…Isn't C-rank… a bit… extreme for such a simple task?" frowned Santa.

Hiruzen coughed. "As I said, it has the difficulty of a D-ranked mission, but Naruto's mother is… a bit extreme in her requests."

I rolled my eyes, not surprised at all. I should probably talk to Tesuri at some point to learn more about the Uzumaki Clan, at the moment… it feels like I'm from a family of spazzes. "Who was watching Naruto before now?"

Hiruzen coughed as if to hide something. "You don't need to know that detail."

…He's totally had his ANBU babysit Naruto up till now… Wasn't that considered an abuse of power? Oh, what do I care? I'm not an ANBU and if I could, I don't think I want to join either ANBU or ROOT. As much as I'm confident that much horrible luck would keep me from dying, I don't think that luck extends to coming back unharmed or mentally stable.

"When do we need to get the client to the Uchiha district? And where?" said Tokuma, obviously annoyed at the minor mission, but was adamant in completing it with utmost professionalism.

"You must get Naruto to the Uchiha Main House before sunset," replied Hiruzen.

Main house? Isn't that…?

A grin touched the elderly Hokage's face. "I'm quite sure you know where that is Kasa. I trust you can complete this mission in a timely manner?"

"…Yeah." I muttered as I adjusted my hold on Naruto, he squirmed and wiggled in my arms as he turned to face me.

"Sa-sa!" grinned Naruto as he continued to babble incoherently.

"By your leave, Hokage-sama," said Kurei with a polite bow. Tokuma and Santa followed suit. No doubt ingrained into them by their respective families.

"Come on, let's just get this over with," grumble Tokuma as he turned to leave.

"What?" sniggered Santa as he followed suit in a slight jog. "We got a C-rank like you asked."

"Shut it," retorted Tokuma.

"Hey, a little help here? You don't expect me to carry Naruto all by myself do you?" I grumbled.

If I was in my adult body, I wouldn't have issue carrying this little tyke, but with a seven-year-old body, it's a bit harder when I'm only about a foot taller than Naruto and twenty pounds heavier. Gods, I feel like a midget. My teammates had at least two feet of height over me and double the weight.

"Think of it this way, we could get some more training done if we get this mission finished quickly," said Santa in good humor, but Tokuma didn't see it the same way.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" I shouted as I hauled up Naruto and chased after my team.

* * *

"… Tokuma, don't kill our client," said Kurei evenly as Naruto grabbed a handful of the Hyuga's hair and stuck it in his mouth.

"Aw, looks like he likes you," gushed Santa teasingly as we made our way out of the admin building and down towards the Uchiha district.

"Take him or I will kill you along with him," growled Tokuma as he put Naruto at arm's length, much like how I was like with Tora.

"Pft." I sniggered. "What was that about me being embarrassing Tokuma?"

The Hyuga glared at me, but made no attempt to defend himself.

"Naruto's mother must be one strange woman if she's calling this an escort mission," said Santa as he relieved Tokuma of the excitable toddler.

"Who cares what this is," grumbled Tokuma as he dried off his drool-slobbered hair with a handkerchief.

"Who would've thought Tokuma's worst fear were little children?" I teased playfully before Tokuma swung an arm to swat at me. I hastily jumped back, expecting his half-hearted attack and stuck out my tongue childishly.

"I am not afraid of children!" grumbled Tokuma.

"Keep telling yourself that." I said in a singsong before a thoughtful hum escaped me. "But it is a bit odd for Kushina-san to leave Naruto like that. I'm actually surprised she didn't put a higher ranked mission for him…"

"It's a bit weird doing a mission for family isn't it?" said Santa.

"Maybe a little." I agreed, mostly because I have no clue what the heck Kushina-san was planning. "I wonder why she didn't just take Naruto to Mikoto-san herself, would've been faster."

"Ke!" shouted Naruto as he flailed towards our right.

"Nawu!" shouted another childish voice in return.

I blinked in surprise and turned to the voice, not expecting anyone to call out to Naruto that excitedly, if at all. When did Naruto get a friend? I paused when I spotted a familiar raven-haired toddler babbling and pointing to us with a bright grin. Though, who were tending to him, startled me a bit.

"…Itachi? Shisui?" I said, baffled. "Don't you guys have missions today? Why do you have Sasuke with you?"

"My team has a day off," chirped Shisui as he ruffled Itachi's head. "And it seemed like Itachi's team had the day off too."

Itachi chose to not respond to the playful tousling of his hair as he came closer, allowing Sasuke and Naruto to come in range to babble incoherently. "Do I want to know why Naruto isn't with Kushina-san?"

I shrugged. "Don't know, but we're told to take Naruto to your house." I answered. "So why are you out and about with Sasuke? I thought Mikoto-san didn't like him out of her sight."

"Most likely she's planning something, if she had Shisui drag me out of the house with Sasuke," droned Itachi.

"Huh?" I said in confusion.

At this point and time, my brain was jumping to a hundred conclusions and more. Though, most of them fell to very… unsavory events. If Fugaku and Tesuri show up, I am totally out of there before they say a word, mission be damned. If I know my anime tropes as well as I do, and _I do_, there's a high chance this shounen series might turn into a freaking shoujo series. I'd take facing death, gore and torture any day of the week to avoid that.

"Oh god! Kasa, take the kid!" said Santa as he swiftly shoved Naruto into my arms. The blond baby promptly started to cry at being manhandled.

"Hey!" I said as I fumbled to hold onto Naruto before he hit the ground.

"You might want to get Naruto to the house," said Itachi at the twitch of his nose.

"Oh, ew!" I groaned at the stench.

At the wail of the toddler, we quickly made our way to the Uchiha Main House. Mainly because Sasuke started crying when he heard Naruto cry and the chorus of two toddlers crying triggered the crying of whatever baby within our vicinity. To say the nearby villagers were pissed off was an understatement.

"Oh goodness, why are Naruto and Sasuke crying?" said Mikoto as she greeted us at the door.

"Diaper emergency! I'm going to take Naruto inside to change." I said in a hurry as I kicked off my shoes and darted in with the wailing toddler.

"Kasa-chan, wait—" said Mikoto, but I darted ahead before she could finish. I rounded the corner and darted down the hall to where I knew was the changing room.

However, before I managed to make pass the living room, a series of loud cracks burst through the air, followed by a loud, "SURPRISE!"

"Holy shi—"I let out a yelp as I dropped backwards startled, clinging to Naruto protectively as I hit the ground. I felt the world spin as my head collided with the ground.

"Kasa, language," chided Kushina.

"Mama!" said Naruto excitedly as he lifted his arms up to be picked up.

"Kushina-san?" I said in a daze as she pulled Naruto from my arms. "I thought you were on a special mission."

"I am," chirped Kushina as she helped me up. "Mission, surprise party for your graduation to genin!"

"…Uh… you're kind of late, I've been a genin for over a month already." I said, puzzled.

"I know, but today's the only day that everyone happened to be free… well, everyone sans you anyway!" said the woman. "Hence, why I had Sandaime Hokage-sama assign your team to this mission."

"...You paid a C-rank to throw a party?" I said in astonishment.

"Yep," said Kushina brightly. This woman was mad as a hatter.

"You should know Kushina-san better by now," drawled Itachi as he made his way in with settled Sasuke in his arms. "She always gets what she wants."

"Kushina-san," said Kurei sternly as he entered the room with the rest of my team following, shortly after. "I would appreciate it if you don't interfere with my team's missions."

"Liven up will you? Geez, even after so many years, you're still a stickler when it comes spontaneity. It's not like I interrupted anything, your team was already finished with missions for today," said Kushina with a roll of her eyes. "If anything Team Four's already over quota with how many missions you have them plow through a week."

Over quota? There are set quotas? Scratch that, there are _safety regulations_ in this world? What the hell? Where the hell was my worker's compensation?

"While, I do believe that a strict regime is something new genins require, a fun break would do more help than a stressful day off," said Kakashi. "She has been using that time to train or take care of Naruto."

How the heck does he even know? He's rarely around.

Obito seemed to notice my confusion before he chirped up. "Rin mentioned about how tired you looked since you became a genin. And considering what happened the first time you took the genin exams, we thought an intervention was necessary."

"…And you saw the need to drag us into this farce in order to do so?" said Tokuma in disbelief.

"This is for the benefit of your team as much as it is for Kasa," said Tesuri as he glanced from the Hyuga boy to Kurei. "If it's the matter of her health, I could request a medical for her as a iryo-nin and her father, but on long term, it wouldn't help her or her team."

"Why not?" frowned Santa in confusion.

"Kasa is self-destructive," said Itachi bluntly.

"Am not!" I huffed.

"Says the girl who volunteered to die on our first meeting," snorted Tokuma as he frowned in thought. "The real C-rank wasn't to escort Naruto, it's to keep Kasa from endangering herself, isn't it?"

"Ninjas must look underneath the underneath," chirped Kushina.

"…We're never going to see that payment," sighed Santa ruefully, but I'm quite sure he's pretending. He's not the type to be bothered by such a revelation… Sometimes I think he's born into the wrong clan. Seriously, he acts more like an Akimichi and Nara than a Yamanaka.

"I wonder how long before our flawless record becomes marred by this mission?" continued Tokuma in a drawl. "The dead last is suicidal even on a good day."

"I'm not suicidal." I puffed up my cheeks indignantly. "You two are so doing this on purpose!"

"Then why are you falling for it?" droned Itachi.

I would've pounced at him or my teammates, if not for Shisui catching me in an over shoulder hug. "You make this way too easy Kasa," chuckled the older boy.

"One day, you will all suffer by my hand." I grumbled darkly under my breath. It was just my luck that my teammates joined up with the Uchiha boys to bully me. "I'll turn you all into ducks, just you wait."

"Aw, she's giving us the duck threats! That's so cute," teased Shisui.

"All right! Let's get this party started!" cheered Kushina.

"…You might want to change Naruto first," noted Rin at the smell that permeated the room.

"After we change Naruto!" continued Kushina without missing a beat as she carried the toddler out to change. "Be right back!"

"Why don't we start on the food while she does that?" said Mikoto brightly as she ushered the rest of us towards the delicious spread. "I made your favorite Kasa-chan."

"Woohoo! Mikoto-san is the best!" I cheered at the mention of food. "Bet I can eat more than you Santa!"

"Is that a challenge?" grinned Santa.

"Great, I have another teammate that's secretly an Akimichi," said Tokuma with a hand to his brow.

"You're just jealous that you eat like a bird." I retorted.

"If you either of you get sick, you're cleaning it up," said Itachi bluntly.

In the midst of our chattering and bantering, I spotted Kurei sensei pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a low sigh. Tesuri patted him on the shoulder with a weak and understanding smile and they traded brief words that I didn't catch. Normally, I wouldn't bother noticing something like that… but at the sight of Kakashi adding his two cents, the color on their faces changed. Kurei turned into a shade of white while Tesuri into a shade of red. Obito and Rin seemed highly amused.

Kakashi caught me staring and give a friendly wave. Somehow… I get the feeling that he just did something completely evil… and I'm so not looking forward to it.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow, flash games are evil… I had most of the chapter done, but it distracted me in the last couple of pages. I deserve all the tomatoes and flames you give me. Anyway, this chapter is… sort of a filler, since nothing much happened, but I promise it does play a role and there will be more action in the coming chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and I'm sorry if I haven't been responding if anyone had questions. I thought they were all rhetorical questions, but if you do want me to respond, drop a word! Until next time!


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two: Progressive Mishaps

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Progressive Mishaps**

"Shit!" I hissed as Santa and I raced through the foliage. "I hate it when Tokuma gets kidnapped!"

"You and me both," grumbled Santa. "It's so much harder to pursue people without him around."

"He just had to go an piss him off didn't he?" I growled.

"Stop complaining," inserted Santa. "It's not like he's on vacation, you should know considering how many times _you_ get kidnapped."

"I've got that number down by half this month!" I huffed.

"That's because Kurei sensei only pulls the hostage training when we slack off," said Santa with the roll of his eyes.

"Gods, I hate hostage training!" I groaned. "I rather go back to weapons training!"

Most of you are probably confused, I would too if someone talks about getting kidnapped as a regular occurrence in their lives. Though, in my case, it is a regular occurrence. Kurei sensei took our training seriously and made sure we had daily team training when we weren't having individual training. Most teams, by the fourth week had a specialization of some sort. Team Four has none.

Sensory, infiltration and reconnaissance, medic, and combat, our team as a whole never fell into any single one of these categories. Considering what we were comprised of, it's not hard to see why. Each of us on the team had skills in one or two branches but none of us really shared the same specialization even if we happened to share the same branch.

For example, Santa was a natural sensor and a combat specialist in setting traps and ambush. If I haven't mentioned it before, I'll say it here, Santa's our _only _realfighter in the team. Direct combat and pursuing enemies were not something we should engage in. I think he's about the only one that could go off on his own in the future. As for the rest of the team, we should never be left alone! EVER!

Tokuma shared the sensory skill, but unlike Santa, he was not a combat specialist. Instead, he specialized in scouting and infiltration. Normally, he would be the one to flush out the traps and update us on the terrain and area. Without him, we were practically running blind. Funny, since he's the only one that looks blind!

You know my skills already and… I'm pretty much useless in the frontlines… or battles in general… Well, that's depressing to know how little I'm worth on the battlefield. If anything, I think we fall under support, what with our ranged-fighter, scout and enhancer… Yeah, I'm going to stay in the back, sniping, buffing and healing. The only one that would possibly go ahead was Tokuma, since he's a scout.

Though, I supposed that's probably why Kurei placed so much effort in training us. The man was a specialist in genjutsu and bukijutsu, the weapon arts. Genjutsu was a given, as he was Kurenai's father, but the weapons completely threw me off. I always thought illusions were strictly all about mental attacks and driving the enemy insane. Kurei does do that, but at the same time, he mixes in swordplay and chains. It's a very deadly combination… just kind of wish he didn't use it on us during training.

"Shit!" I cursed when chains shot out from the ground. I quickly reached back to grab my umbrella and swung it to deflect the onslaught of chains.

With a firm grip, I forced the rigid canopy open with chakra, just in time to twirl the handle to block and redirect the barrage of chains crashing into my last minute shield.

"Santa, I thought you were supposed to keep an eye out and warn me." I said in exasperation as I checked over my umbrella for damage, even with chakra reinforcement, sometimes it wasn't enough to keep it from getting damaged.

"I'm not Tokuma! I can only sense things with chakra!" grumbled Santa.

I groaned. "How much further before we get to Tokuma?"

"Not long, it seems like he's coming towards us," said Santa as he closed his windmill shuriken. He was using it to deflect the chains, just as I did with my umbrella.

"He's coming?" I asked, puzzled. "Wait, you mean he got out of the hostage situation?"

"Don't know," frowned Santa. "Maybe it's another test from sensei."

"…Ugh… if he placed Tokuma under genjutsu…" I paused in thought.

Tokuma's not a fighter. Sure, he could still do the Hyuga's Gentle Fist style that seals off your chakra points, but Santa is a ranged fighter, he wouldn't need to get close if we do get into a fight and I'm definitely not a close range fighter… if I fought at all.

The Uchiha fighting style was meant for quick violent assaults where the fighter rarely stays planted to the ground for more than seconds at a time. While I'm fairly adept in the style, training with Fugaku, Itachi and Shisui would do that to a person, it wasn't a style I was comfortable with. Heck, in this body, my balance was completely shot. Something about these stupid open-toed sandals made it hard for me to keep my center.

Maybe I should find someway to fix my balance problem. If I'm that unbalanced on stable ground, can you imagine me trying to be Jesus and walk on water? Yeah, I'm not going to part the seas anytime soon. I'm more likely to belly flop face first into the water. What I wouldn't give for a good pair of sneakers or combat boots. Stupid ninja-shoes.

"It doesn't make sense for Kurei to send Tokuma back under genjutsu." I muttered. "Unless he's trying to test our level of caution."

"How should we check to make sure Tokuma's not being controlled? Kurei sensei did put you in a genjutsu last time and he knows what we're like, he could easily have him respond naturally," noted Santa.

"Kurei sensei does like making things difficult…" I groaned smacking my head against my closed umbrella.

"Whatever we're planning, it better be quick, Tokuma will be here in five minutes," said Santa.

"Five minutes? We can't come up with a plan in five minutes!" I snapped before ruffling my hair into a mess. "Ah, screw it! I'm going to wing it."

Santa raised a brow. "You do know what happened when you did that last time right?"

"T-that was my trial run!" I spluttered, face red. "Maybe I should've practiced a bit more before I used it in actual combat, but, but…" I fumbled.

Santa sniggered at my poor excuse. "Did you get any better?"

"I—" I paused when I felt a displacement in the air. Santa did too from the look on his face.

"Kasa, Santa," said Tokuma as he landed on a tree not far from us. "Training's over today."

"What?" frowned Santa. "But we haven't even faced Kurei sensei yet."

"…You're a spy!" I blurted out.

Santa sighed in exasperation. "Kasa…"

"What?" I grumbled.

"Let's hope we never have to go on an espionage mission with you," droned Tokuma.

"I don't care! It's not like Kurei sensei to let off training this early and without good reason. I could work on my improving my interrogation skills later." I grumbled.

A phantom grin touched Tokuma's lips before he darted forward with chakra glowing on the tips of his fingers. Santa and I barely dodged in time as he went after our tenketsu.

"You're learning," said Tokuma in amusement.

"I knew it! Tokuma turned traitor! He's helping Kurei sensei!" I said as Santa yanked me back before I fell off the branch.

"Geez, Kasa we really need to do something about your balancing issue, I've lost count how many times you've nearly fell off," said Santa in exasperation.

"Never mind that! Tokuma turned traitor!" I pointed to our teammate. "He's not under genjutsu!"

"Calling him a traitor is a bit harsh isn't it?" said Santa before he glanced to Tokuma. "But it is a bit odd that Tokuma would be siding with sensei today. Did hostage training turn into renegade training?"

"Technically, I'm not supposed to tell you and let you work it out, but since Kasa figured it out already, it's pointless to keep up the charades. I rather not deal with her pestering me to admit I'm a traitor for the next twenty minutes," droned Tokuma.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, sometimes hostage training gets turned into renegade training, which meant an ally has turned traitor and you're to beat their ass down and ship them back to the village for T&I. Don't see how this works, since this training only helps us if we happened to turn on each other, which I highly doubt would happen.

Its more likely Kurei was using this method of training to get us familiarized with each other's fighting tactics and skill set. Then using that to improve wherever we were lacking from these mock-fights. I'm actually a little glad that Tokuma's on the other side today and not Santa.

Why? Because Santa freaking ruined my umbrella that last time we were on opposing sides, it took me months to pay back my debt to the weapon shop to repair the damn thing! At least with Tokuma, I know he won't brutalize my weapon. He'll bruise the hell out of me, but it's much cheaper using iryo-ninjutsu compared to paying for weapon repairs… but I suppose that defeats the purpose of having a shield and weapon if I'm not going to use it.

"…You two are breaking protocols," sighed Santa.

"Who cares?" I said as I rotated my wrist and hefted the umbrella in my hand. "This just means we don't have to fight Kurei sensei today! I'm so going to get a TKO on you today Tokuma!"

The Hyuga boy rolled his eyes. "You've been saying that for months already."

"Then why should you care if I said it one more time? Unless you're chicken!" I said childishly.

Yes, I know, it's no better than schoolyard insults. I don't care if I've been a genin for half a year already, I'm only eight and Kushina would kill me if I started cursing like a sailor. Oh, how I can't wait for puberty and then I could hide behind the guise of a rebellious teenager!

"You know, one of these days Kurei sensei is going to kill us for straying from his training," said Santa wryly.

"Then he shouldn't skip out halfway through our training after kidnapping one of us." I huffed. "I swear this must be a weird fetish for him to kidnap little kids."

Tokuma planted a hand to his face. "I really wonder where do you learn these things."

"From the voices in my head." I replied bluntly. "It's telling me to change all your underpants into frilly panties too."

"…I question your sanity sometimes," sighed Tokuma as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And my sanity questions you too." I said in return.

"Now, you're just stalling," huffed Tokuma as he returned to a fighting stance. "The sooner I knock you out, the sooner we can call it a day."

"You can try! Santa and I are so taking you down!" I retorted.

"Maybe we should do that first before you make that claim," said Santa before we darted opposite directions and circled around our teammate.

Santa made quick work of sending shurikens flying at the Hyuga as the limber boy dodge and danced around the flying projectiles with his family styled taijutsu and using a kunai to deflect any he couldn't dodge. I sent my own barrage of senbons when it seemed like he was cornered, but Tokuma looped around to the underside of the branch and used it as a shield instead.

"Damn it! He's a nimble bastard." I grumbled under my breath as I scrambled to perch on the branch I landed on. Seriously, the tree-walking exercise isn't that hard, I could do it no problem, but for some reason I still have trouble using it during combat.

"You're going to have to do better than that," taunted Tokuma.

"Oh, it is on!" I growled as I cracked my knuckles and limbered my fingers up. "I'm going to make you eat those words Hyuga!"

"Bring it on dead last!" replied Tokuma.

Reaching into my pouch, I gave a burst of chakra to my hands before launching the senbons at the tree. Unlike my previous attack, these were reinforced with chakra, capable of piercing through thick armor, or in this case a thick tree limb. This trick I learned from Tesuri. Originally, this was meant for medics on the field with dull scalpels. Tokuma spotted the attack a mile away with his byakugan eyes and dodge before the projectiles managed to burrow through the branch and out the other end.

"Can't beat me, so you're trying to kill me now?" drawled Tokuma from his new perch.

"Quit complaining! It's not like it hit you, you totally saw it coming!" I shouted back.

Before either of us could continue yelling at each other, a kunai whistled through the air, hitting beneath Tokuma's branch. An explosion of fine white dust enveloped him causing him to choke and cough. I cheered inwardly at Santa's ambush as I took the chance to charge in with my umbrella at hand. Even in the distance I could see Tokuma's vague silhouette in the cloud of white dust.

"VICTORY IS MINE!" I cackled as I raised my umbrella over my head and bashed it violently over his.

Tokuma gasped at the initial attack and staggered with each succinct blow following it. I gave him no chance in dodging or shielding himself as I used my umbrella similarly to a bokken, whacking him wherever I could. Interestingly enough, among the three of us, I was the most agile and picked up Kurei's weapon training the quickest.

Unfortunately, I'm physically the weakest in the group, considering the age gap and my size. Even if I could get blows in, more than half the time, it doesn't do enough damage to make it worthwhile. Today was an exception.

"Kasa! Stop!" shouted Santa.

"Why?" I paused and jumped back. Tokuma wheezed as he hit the branch and rolled off.

"Shit! Grab him!" cursed Santa as he came at us. "I sent paralyzing powder at him instead of sleeping powder and he just breathed in a ton of it!"

"What?" My eyes widened as I jumped after the Hyuga boy.

Tokuma had already hit three branches on the way down, and the sound of something cracking loudly wasn't good. I managed to catch up in time to grab him, but it was too late, we were falling too quickly and I didn't have enough strength to carry Tokuma while getting us to safety. Do I let go and save myself? Or should I cling on and try to tumble to save Tokuma? If I leave him now, he might just break his neck.

Better make a decision fast! The ground is coming awfully close. I closed my eyes tightly as I clung onto Tokuma. Damn it!

"Kasa!" shouted Santa.

I expected to hit the ground, breaking at least a limb or two, and maybe some heavy internal bleeding. I've disjointed both my arms and my jaw before and let me tell you, the pain was excruciating. Hitting the ground at this height, if it doesn't kill us, it'll hurt like a bitch.

I cushioned Tokuma's head in my arms as I tucked in. An iryo-nin can fix anything as long as their patient's not dead right? I steeled myself for the pain that was to come. This is going to hurt!

…Except, the pain never came.

Strong arms wrap around Tokuma and me as someone caught us in mid-air and quickly attached himself to the closest tree.

"…I should've known better that the lot of you will somehow find a way to kill yourselves if I left you alone," grumble Kurei.

"Kurei sensei!" I said in relief.

"Your father wasn't joking about you being self-destructive," frowned Kurei.

"Argh!" I huffed in annoyance. "For the last time, I'm not self-destructive! Oh, forget about that! We need to get treatment for Tokuma, he breathed in Santa's paralysis powder!"

For the rest of you who hasn't faced Santa's traps and bag of tricks before, the Yamanaka in my team is evil. Not evil like a villain, evil like the sneaky bastards ninjas are supposed to be. When it came to this blond ninja, there were several key things you need to remember.

One, never let him hit to you any form of projectile. Why? Because the bastard laced all his blades with paralyzing agents. I'm quite sure he'll eventually switch it over to poisons, but at the moment I don't think he trusts me not to run into his line of fire by accident.

Two, since Santa was an expert in ambush, he carries a lot of shit with him. Remember the storage scrolls? Yes? Remember how I can activate seals with no problem? Yes? Don't do it. Don't active those seals! Why, you ask? The shit that's in them is super volatile.

Now, he has two types of storage scrolls. One for weapons, that one's not that dangerous, but the second one? You better hope none of that stuff hits you if the seal decides to fail.

In another life, I might've called Santa a chemist or a mad scientist because this bastard carries around bottles of acid and what seems like napalm. How he managed to create napalm? I have no clue, but like I said before, Santa was not one to be fucked with. I found out the hard way when I activated his seals during one of our previous training sessions.

I haven't met anyone else from the Yamanaka Clan yet, but if they're anything like Santa, I am never going to look at florist the same way ever again. I've seen him whip up things on the fly with common plants found in the surrounding forest that you would never imagine to be dangerous. Seriously, half the poisonous vials in his second scroll were made from the common plants found around the village. Hell, I think he would've done great in kunoichi classes.

Argh, there I go, off topic again. Let's head back before I stray even further… Where was I again? Oh right, Santa is evil. Don't cross him while he has his toys, he makes Batman look unprepared.

Kurei ended up rushing Tokuma to the hospital using the body flicker. Paralysis powders and poisons were not something I could handle, at least not yet. Tesuri and Rin had only finished my lessons on mending bones and resuscitation techniques.

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked later at the hospital. Santa and I took a little longer in getting there since neither of us knew how to use the body flicker.

"He'll live," said Kurei with an exhausted sigh. "But he won't be going on missions for some time. Santa's paralysis powder was more potent than expected. He's off the roster for the next couple of weeks, doctor's orders."

Santa grimaced. "He doesn't have any permanent damage, does he?"

"Don't worry," consoled Kurei when he noticed the guilt eating away at the blond boy. "Tokuma's shinobi career won't end here. The paralysis to his lungs was fixed and he will recover. However, he sustained a large number of fractures and broken bones on the way down."

"…Can't those be fixed with a mending technique?" I frowned. I'm quite sure it doesn't take weeks to heal broken bones, at least not in this world.

"Santa, you want to explain it to her?" said Kurei.

The Yamanaka boy looked even guiltier. "My paralysis powder had chakra inhibitors in it. Even if they got rid of the paralysis powder, the chakra inhibitors would stay in the system for a couple of weeks before it's completely filtered out."

"Chakra inhibitors?" My eyes widened. "Why the hell would you… well, I guess it was effective, but what the hell?"

For those of you who are lost, chakra inhibitors does what the name implies, it stops chakra from flowing through the body. Now, let's have a crash course on chakra. I'm sure you already know that chakra is necessary for all the basic jutsu and other badass things everyone in this world can do. However, that's not all it does. Chakra is also what allows everyone here bleed gallons of blood and not die.

Bet you didn't know that and chalked it up to anime physics. I won't bore you with the long boring lesson Tesuri gave me when he ran me through the concept of chakra. It's way too long and way too boring, if I went on about it, I would probably fall asleep halfway through.

Anyway, back to topic. With chakra being more important than blood in a shinobi's body, to have chakra inhibitors running through your system was equivalent of having your immune system shot to hell and then catching pneumonia. You can see why that's a bad thing.

"I didn't mean to use it!" grumbled Santa. "I meant to use the sleeping powder on Tokuma."

"Why were you even carrying that stuff in the first place?" I asked. "It's not like we're going to face any enemy ninja during a D-rank.

Santa said nothing.

"… You really wanted to use it huh?" I said dryly.

"Shut up," grumbled Santa.

I sniggered as Kurei sighed.

"The lot of you will be the death of me," muttered Kurei under his breath before he stared at us sternly. "With Tokuma out of commission, standard shinobi protocol calls for the remaining genin in the team to reallocate to another team until a time the injured member recovers."

"Wait, Team Four is disbanding?" I said in disbelief.

"Only temporarily, until Tokuma recovers," answered Kurei. "I will still oversee your individual training, while you take missions with other teams, but team training will postpone until Tokuma returns. Maybe next time, the lot of you will learn to be more cautious next time."

Both Santa and I grimaced at his words. We were both at fault, Santa, for being careless and using a dangerous poison against allies and me, for carelessly taking the chance to attack rather than to check on my teammate.

Thank god, there wasn't much paperwork in doing our reallocation. Considering the fatality rate of being a ninja, it's probably best to make reallocations less of a hassle. I wonder if there's a curse on Team Four? You know, like how Team Seven always ends up having a traitor in its midst. I wonder if Team Four's curse is bad luck or if it's just me?

Why am I asking this, you ask? Guess what number is my new temporary team.

"Team…thirteen…" I said in a deadpan when I received my transfer notice. "…Screw you, universe, stop trolling me!"

Santa gave me the weird eye before he glanced away. "I'm not even going to ask."

"What team are you on?" I asked.

"Team Nine," said the Yamanaka boy. "One of your Uchiha boyfriends is on the team."

"Itachi or Shisui?" I asked before realizing what he said. My face flushed. "They're not my boyfriends!"

"_Sure_," sniggered Santa. "I'm surprised you have to ask since you're on the team with the other one."

"Eh?" I voiced out in surprise. "I'm on whose team?"

"…You really spaced out during orientation day didn't you?" sighed Santa. "You should pay attention."

"Are you going to tell me whose team I'm on or not?" I grumbled.

Santa grinned. "You know what? I think I'm going to let you find out yourself and tell your other boyfriend that you're cheating on him with his better half."

I opened my mouth to retort, but sighed. "You know what, say what you want. Let's see if I'll heal you the next time you get hurt."

"_Wooh_, you're threatening to let me die, I'm _so_ scared," mocked Santa before a wry grin touched his lips and he reached over to ruffle my hair. "I think we have to worry more about keeping you alive than myself."

I huffed in annoyance. It's really sad that I'm getting bullied by these brats. I'm old enough to be their mother if you add up my current age with my previous age. Hmm… what does that say about me?

…Nothing good.

"Whatever, I'll find out myself." I pouted as he laughed.

"See you at training!" said Santa as we parted. He went off to who knows where to meet up with his new team and I found myself heading towards the mission office to wait for my new team. Apparently, they were going to meet up here to get a mission.

It's a bit weird, I'll admit. After spending six months with my current team and the sudden change to a whole new team is a bit jarring. I was kind of thinking we'd stay together until one of us becomes a chunin or, if we're unlucky, one of us dies.

It's not a bad alternative, I guess. My thoughts didn't linger long as I stepped into the missions' office. Seated at the desk as usual was Hiruzen, a normal sight as I've seen him each time whenever Team Four came for missions, but somehow today felt a little different.

"Good morning Kasa," greeted the man with a warm smile.

"…Good morning?" I returned, a little uncertain.

"Are you anxious to meet your new team?" asked the man conversationally.

"…I'm okay, I guess." I replied with a shrug. Maybe I'm overthinking this, it's probably just new team jitters.

"How has the training been with Kushina?" asked the man.

"Training?" My brow furrowed in confusion was he talking about seal training or training with demon chakra. "Fine… Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself about. Just think of it as an old man's curiosity," chuckled Hiruzen.

That didn't relieve me in the slightest.

"How do you like your training at the Uchiha Clan?" asked Hiruzen, most likely to change the topic, but that only seemed to make me even more nervous.

"…Hokage-sama, did something happen?" I asked nervously. The man does trade common pleasantries with me on occasion when my team shows up and we get a bit rowdy, but this is exceeding the pleasantry quota.

Hiruzen gave a hearty laugh. "Ah, I apologize if my questions worried you. There are no grave news waiting for you if that is what you're worried about."

That doesn't make me feel any better!

"Hokage-sama," greeted a commanding voice, thankfully ending the awkward conversation with Hiruzen. I wanted to thank him a million times, but relief was short lived when I recognized the blank white eyes on the man speaking with Hiruzen.

"Kasa, this is Hizashi Hyuga, he'll be your temporary team leader until your team is ready to reform," said Hiruzen.

...Did he say Hizashi? As in _the_ Hizashi Hyuga?

"…Hi?" I forced out an awkward greeting.

"I know the number of kunoichi graduating this year was low enough to disrupt the usual team setup but…" trailed off the man with an assessing frown. "Does this girl even know how be a kunoichi?"

"Kasa here is a little unconventional," offered Hiruzen. "But I'm quite sure you can handle having her join your team."

"I'll be the judge of that," said the man.

…I get the feeling that I just got insulted.

"Um… Hizashi sensei, if you don't mind me asking, where is the rest of the team?" I asked.

"You won't be meeting them anytime soon," said the man.

"…Huh?" I said puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I've looked through your performance evaluations. At your current standing, you won't be able to join Team Thirteen on any missions or team training," started the man. "You are a hazard and I don't need a repeat of Tokuma's incident."

"What?" I said incredulously. "What do you mean I can't join missions or team training? It's not even my fault that Tokuma's out of commission!" Well, maybe partially my fault, but he makes it sound like I was the main culprit. "Why am I even placed on Team Thirteen if I'm not allowed to do anything? You might as well just tell me to not come in!"

"We will have to remedy her of that temper," said Hizashi as the frown deepened on his face. "How did Kurei let her go about as she is for so long? It's not wonder Tokuma is in the state he is."

I felt indignant rage bubbling. "What happened to Tokuma wasn't Kurei sensei's fault! Sensei is a great team leader!"

"He was careless," said the man.

If I was a cat, I'd be hissing by now with my hair rising. Instead I pushed up my hitai-ate and pressed my fingers against my forehead. Calm yourself Kasa, he's not attacking you… but he's attacking Kurei sensei! I pressed my fingers harder, taking a deep breath. Think of something else, something cool… Hmm, I still haven't gotten around to learning how to do Kushina's demonic hair trick yet. Yeah, that's pretty cool. Maybe I should ask her later…

"Please settle down Kasa," soothed Hiruzen. "While I am quite delighted that you want to defend your jounin sensei, Hizashi currently is your direct superior and you must treat him as such."

Taking another deep breath to settle down, I pulled the hitai-ate back over my forehead, sneaking a glance through my lower lids. I could see the disapproval on Hizashi's face. No doubt, looking down at my behavior. Any other time, I would've let my anger gotten the better of me and cursed him out in every language I know while making a number of obscene hand gestures. None that would translate, but I'm quite sure I wouldn't care.

Right now, however, I have no interest in instant gratification. He wants to play the _proper_ game eh? I'll play with him. I could pull off being a proper lady! How hard can it be?

I lowered my hand slowly before straightening my posture and collecting my feet together. I ran through even etiquette lesson I had in kunoichi class and every memory I had in Japanese culture in general as I evened out my breathing. Back straight, hands together and anger wiped from my face; I did a fluid forty-five degree angle bow.

"I apologize for my manners." I said softly without an ounce of venom in my voice.

"…Your tone is right, but your stance is off, your feet are supposed to be together," stated Hizashi.

I twitched as a vein pulsed at the side of my temple. Okay, maybe being a proper lady is a bit more difficult than I expected. I grated my teeth briefly before I corrected my stance, stood up with a bright smile.

"Of course, I have much to learn. Please advise me Hizashi sensei." I said cheerily.

"Hizashi?" inquired Hiruzen as he glanced at the Hyuga.

"Maybe I can salvage something with some training," said Hizashi after staring at me for a moment. "How well can you move in a kimono?"

Wait—What?

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, maybe I lied about the progress bit. I'm trying to build up everyone to a believable fighting level before we go nuts with fun things like…the CHUNIN EXAMS! Thanks for reading as always! I'll see you in the next chapter!


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three: Unmethodical

Author's Notes: You know that saying "an idiot can't catch a cold even if they want to"? Apparently, I'm not that big of an idiot… though I do believe I've done the near impossible and caught a cold in the MIDDLE of summer. Still recovering from the vomiting, the shivers and random bouts of vertigo. I felt bad leaving you guys so long without an update, so here's the next chapter.

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Unmethodical **

Hey, remember those weird questions Hiruzen asked me and I got super paranoid and worried? Yeah, turns out, he was trying to give me a tip off that I'm getting a continuing education in how to be a kunoichi…by a man in a prestige clan… Yeah, you try to figure it out from hearing, Kushina and Uchiha in the same conversation. I bet even you guys thought it was something else! Don't deny it, I totally know what you guys were thinking!

Anyway, the thought of resuming kunoichi lessons was enough to give me hives. No, I'm serious! I really got hives when I found out I had to resume kunoichi lessons! Tesuri managed to fix that in a heartbeat, but the fact that I got hives from that alone meant it was going to be a horrible, horrible training session. Even Kushina and Rin have given up on training me in the kunoichi arts at some point, something about me being as a graceful as a bull in a chinaware shop.

Though, I must say, moving in a kimono…wasn't as bad as I expected. At first when Hizashi asked how well can I move in a kimono, I was ready to throw in the towel and say fuck it and I'll find a way to Rock Lee my way into being a ninja! I was tempted to go kicking and screaming when Hizashi took me to the kimono shop.

In my previous life, and maybe this life as well, I'm not someone you would associate with grace and femininity. Far from it, you're more likely to see me decked out in armor and a gun, crawling through the muddy fields. The thought of loose and flowy clothing made me dread the cape moment. In the wise words of Edna Modes, NO CAPES!

Surprisingly, the kimono wasn't as bad as I expected. I expected to fall flat on my face on more than one occasion considering how long the damn things were and the okobo shoes that went with it was at least three inches thick, making sure that the kimono never touches the ground. The most surprising thing was that I actually moved better in the okobo than in the standard shoes. Weird huh? Of course, I had to modify it a little bit behind Hizashi's back to strap the damn things to my feet so they don't accidentally slip off like Cinderella's slipper.

Hmm, you know what? I think I might just keep using these shoes. I haven't fallen off a tree in ages! The kimono on the other hand, I might need to modify the crap out of it if I want to actually fight in them. Don't get me wrong, I actually fight better in a kimono than the clothes I have, the only issue was the length, if I can chop it down to half length so my legs aren't restricted, I think I might have just found my permanent outfit for missions… Somehow this feels a lot like prepping for cosplay and I'm absolutely giddy over the notion.

"…The Uchiha style taijutsu isn't meant for you," said Hizashi at the end of the first week. "You become unstable and noisy whenever your feet leaves the ground. Not to mention, you don't have the physique or power to pull of that style."

"…I know that, but it's a little better than the Academy standard." I said as I untied the tasuki that kept my long-ass kimono sleeves out of the way while I trained.

I still haven't met the rest of Team Thirteen yet; the man won't let me until I could pull off wearing a kimono like a pro. He probably have them train or something while he drags me up to speed, but you know what? While men like Hizashi and Fugaku from prestige clans were hard asses and assholes when it came to anyone outside of their clans, they're generally pretty good teachers. I think I actually learned more from them than from my kunoichi lessons, but I suppose since they're from old families, traditions such as this would be their specialty.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to be the bigger person and do that forgive and forget thing. I'm way too petty and immature for that. Be assured, I will have my vengeance!

Hizashi frowned thoughtfully. "You have been picking up the dances much faster than expected and you do seem to work better with fluid styles than harsh combat styles."

"…Fluid?" I said thoughtfully, while I've never practiced any form of martial arts in my previous life, I was a fighting game junkie and for a time I researched into the various branches of fighting styles each character used.

For example, the Hyuga taijutsu style resembled greatly to the baguazhang style, a style where practitioners trained within an eight-trigram field, sounds familiar doesn't it? They're not the only one though; Tekken and Street Fighter have characters using that style too. Though, I doubt I could get Hizashi to teach me the Hyuga style taijutsu by asking…

Hmm… wait a sec, maybe I could… but that would… no, then… An evil grin crossed my lips. I have an idea.

"Hizashi sensei, I want to try something, may I have this spar?" I asked politely.

The man glanced at me, as if curious to what I was planning and gave a curt nod.

I grinned, giving him a polite bow, a proper one this time before slipping into a stance I've seen Tokuma take a hundred times. Hizashi raised brow, but said nothing as he fell into a similar stance.

Now, before you skip ahead and think I can imitate styles like an Uchiha, I can't. Life would be so much easier if I could, but I can't. So what the hell am I trying to do? Well, what I _can_ do, and will do, is butcher the Hyuga style taijutsu. What was that? How am I going to do that? Well… are you guys familiar with a certain, let's say, dance?

Blow by blow, I mixed in fluid moves stolen from air-benders, short alchemists and extremely girly looking men from games and anime. Each, Hizashi countered flawlessly with his superior skill and experience.

"Interesting," said Hizashi. "Where did you learn these moves?"

I grinned brightly. "You've seen nothing yet!"

Hizashi paused with a frown as I swapped to another stance with both arms held out to my left and my legs spread evenly on the ground.

With a crabwalk scurry, I made my way towards him. "Fuuuuusion—"

THWACK!

I never finished as Hizashi palmed me in the face and sent me flying. With a twist of my body I managed to land on my feet, but skidded backwards as I covered my hands over my stinging face.

"Ow!" I whimpered. "You didn't even let me finish!"

Hizashi's face was red with rage. "What in the nine hells was that repulsive, repulsive—!" He was so furious that he couldn't even finish his sentence.

"You said fluid!" I complained.

"That was utterly hideous with no fluidity in regards to rest of your performance," said the man. "I am disappointed in you. I thought you were taking this training seriously."

"I am taking this seriously! The fusion dance is totally a legit move! Though, it probably does nothing since I don't have a partner to mirror me." I reasoned.

"… Mirror?" repeated Hizashi in disbelief. "This atrocious dance is meant for two?"

"Atrocious?" I parroted. "Oh come on! You're harping on me because it's not pretty? What the hell?"

"You are a kunoichi, to infiltrate, you need to acquire all the class and grace of a lady. At this rate you can't even pass as a maiko!" growled the man.

"…You do know who I have for role models right?" I said dryly.

Hizashi breathed through his nose in an attempt to collect himself. "Come to the Hyuga compound in the morning."

"…I have training with Fugaku-san at the Uchiha compound in the morning." I said.

"Have you tried those moves in his presence?" asked Hizashi.

"No?" I said in confusion. "The Uchiha style taijutsu uses quick and violent movements."

"…Tomorrow, tell him you're coming to me for morning training and if he asks why, show him… that fusion… dance… thing," said Hizashi as if the name of the dance was too repulsive to touch his lips.

The next morning, Fugaku kicked me out of the Uchiha compound faster than you can say troll. Who knew being one could be so effective? Considering everyone thinks I'm an idiot anyway, acting oblivious while doing something that embarrassing should garner some attention… What do you mean I'm not acting? I am not oblivious! I totally know what's going—hey, there's Tokuma!

…Where was I again? Oh, I'll figure it out later.

"Good morrow dear sir!" Archaic words rolled off my tongue as I greeted him cheerily. "Alack how dos thou health fair?"

"It's as if she's trying to communicate with me," drawled Tokuma in a deadpan. "Why are you here? It's too early to deal with your insanity."

"Forsooth, good sir, I've been summoned henceforth—"

"Speak human!" interrupted Tokuma, not humoring my sense of humor. Ha, get it? "And why are you in a kimono?"

"I'm undercover." I whispered conspiringly as I dropped my archaic speech.

"… Undercover?" repeated Tokuma, not believing me in the least. "What are you undercover as?"

"A magic girl of course!" I struck a pose. "As defender of love and justice, in the name of Konoha, I will punish you!"

Tokuma pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. "…Definitely too early."

"Fine, fine, all kidding aside." I huffed, dropping my hands onto my hips. "I'm here for training with Hizashi sensei."

"Training?" Tokuma paused, glancing at me with interest. "Hizashi-sama is your temporary jounin sensei?"

"Yep." I chirped.

"…Someone at the team assignment office must hate you," grinned Tokuma wryly. "You do know Hizashi-sama's team specializes in infiltration and reconnaissance right?"

"…What?" I said in a deadpan. Excuse me as I find a wall and repeatedly bash my head against it.

Normally, my hitai-ate would take the abuse, but due to my current attire, Hizashi demanded I wear the hitai-ate in a manner that would compliment the kimono. Hence, why I'm wearing it like a headband on top of my head. Don't know why should I bother wearing it at all since it defeats the purpose of what it's for. With how much Hizashi harps on my closet and personal grooming, I think he would work very well with the Fab Five in my old world.

Tokuma sniggered as he patted me on the head. "There, there I've only got a couple more weeks to go before the chakra inhibitors completely flush out of my system. Enjoy your training," said the Hyuga boy with sadistic glee as he directed me through the Hyuga compound.

I found myself giving a dejected whimper as I followed my quietly cackling teammate. Even so, it didn't stop me from taking in the sights. The Hyuga compound was a little different compared to the Uchiha district. Like the Uchiha, the Hyuga was a prestige clan in Konoha, obvious by the size of the compound. However, unlike the Uchiha, the Hyuga compound is completely walled off from the rest of the village. They like their privacy I suppose.

Though, the biggest difference, aside from the anti-social walls surrounding the compound, was the Zen garden scattered throughout the place. With how peaceful the whole place felt I swear I could pass out snoring in the halls without a second's notice. Totally not meant to be an insult; there were very few people and places in this world that I could and would let my guard down completely to pass out dead to the world.

_Snap, snap._

"Wake up!" said Tokuma as he snapped his fingers.

I blinked sleepily at the hand in front of my face before I glanced up with a dazed look on my face. Crap, did I fall asleep walking? Hizashi stood with his arms crossed and raised a brow. I resisted the urge to scratch the back of my head sheepishly. According to this Hyuga sensei, that's not considered very lady-like and he made it a habit to thwack my head whenever I did so. Did I tell you how much I love my hitai-ate?

"Sleepwalking… that's a first," said Hizashi as he breathed out through his nose. "But since you weren't snoring or drooling while doing so, I can't complain too much."

"I don't drool or snore even when I sleep normally!" I puffed up my cheeks.

"Good, then we don't have to train you while you sleep," continued Hizashi.

"… Wait, you serious?" I said baffled. "If I'm a lousy sleeper, you would put me through sleep training?"

"Civilian geishas can sleep perfectly still without a hair out of place," replied Hizashi.

"Good lord, they're not human!" I blurted out before the man gave me a firm look.

"I'll leave you to your training then," said Tokuma as he hid his chortle behind a well-disguised cough before giving a polite bow. "Hizashi-sama."

"Actually, you can help," said Hizashi.

Tokuma paused with a questioning look.

"Your teammate will be learning a variation to the Hyuga style taijutsu," noted Hizashi.

"…What?" said Tokuma in surprise. "But she's not part of the clan. Isn't it against the rules to…"

Damn it Tokuma! Stop ruining my chances in learning skills to save my ass!

Thinking quickly, I added, "Hizashi-sensei, if I can't learn the Hyuga style, can Tokuma be my partner in—"

"NO!" said Hizashi almost violently. "That dance is now forbidden! You will learn the variation taijutsu and never speak of that dance again."

"…Dance?" Tokuma glanced at me questionably, but a glare from Hizashi made him clam up immediately.

Personally, I don't see why he's so mortified by the fusion dance. Sure, it's a bit silly and maybe useless since I have no clue whether or not fusion even works in this universe, but turning it into a forbidden dance is a bit extreme isn't it?

Hmm… Unless there's something I'm missing here? Maybe it's a totally badass instant KO dance… that or it's really that embarrassing that he doesn't want me to soil the image of the village… Yeah, that's probably it.

Surprisingly, learning the steps and the stances weren't hard. I got it down within the first hour or so… the hard part… was to actually use it in combat. You would think it'd be easy for me considering I'm such a junkie when it comes to fighting games. Combat is nothing more than memorizing your moves and predicting your opponent's moves. Then when they have an opening you combo-mash the crap out of the controller and beat them to the last HP on their health bar.

The fact that Tokuma was kicking my ass despite having chakra inhibitors in his body makes me sad, very sad. Of course, this was strictly a no-enhancement spar, which meant no chakra, no weapons and no fancy moves aside from the katas. Since he has the advantage of using the Hyuga style longer, it's expected…but that doesn't make me feel any better.

I'm seriously considering in switching my white mage class to red mage. Unless I could find someway to trigger heart attacks or cause strokes; I'm near useless as a fighter. I know, I know, medics aren't supposed to be in the frontlines, but the longer I hang around this world, the more I'm itching for a fight. What the heck happened to my sense of self-preservation? Is it something in the water?

By the way, all this happened in the span of two weeks. Unbelievable, I know, but if you had Hizashi as a sensei, you'll be terrified that it took you that long to get anything down. Remember what Tokuma said about Team Thirteen specializing in reconnaissance and infiltration? There's a reason why that's their specialty.

According to Hizashi, Team Thirteen was required to memorize his training routine along with various roles within the same day it's taught and perfected before the end of that same week. It vaguely reminded me of drama class in high school with the amount of improv and acting exercises. Except there was more killer intent and an unspoken death threat if I failed to meet standards. I've lost count how many times I bit back the urge to scream like the little girl I currently am.

"Two weeks," said Hizashi, mildly annoyed by my progress. "I supposed that should be enough for the upcoming mission."

"…I can go on missions?" I lit up at the mention of something that's not training. Heck, at this point I'll do anything else just so I don't have to go to kunoichi lessons again!

Personally, accomplishing as much as I did in two weeks was impressive in my opinion. Who the hell can memorize the damn katas to a new taijutsu style that quickly? Not to mention, my muscle memory was still wired to the Uchiha style. I can't use the new taijutsu practically yet, but if he randomly shouts a kata, I could perform it perfectly… though, I supposed it's near useless since I don't have the byakugan. The only things I could do were redirect and defend.

"You haven't improved as much as I wanted, but Team Thirteen is long over due for another mission. Kurei hasn't taken Team Four on a mission above D-ranked yet, has he?" asked Hizashi, even though I'm quite sure he already memorized the poor stats to Team Four.

"Mainly D-ranks." I replied. "Kurei sensei said it's hard enough keeping us alive on D-ranks."

"…We'll see how you fair," said Hizashi as he pressed his fingers against the side of his temple.

"So… When do I meet the team?" I asked brightly as I swung my umbrella over my shoulders, holding it like a weight bar. The thought of finally breaking free from the damnable kunoichi—

"Not so fast," said Hizashi, interrupting my cheerful thoughts. "As a part of your continuing training, you're to upkeep the appearance of a proper lady for the duration of this mission."

Say what now?

"The whole time?" I protested. "Can I at least speak with the team normally?"

"If that is an issue, hand in your hitai-ate and resign," stated Hizashi coldly. "I am not Kurei. I've only indulged on your childish whims because Hokage-sama believed that you have a chance to improve on your mediocre skills given time and a proper mentoring."

Any protest I had, died on my lips as the man continued.

"The life of a shinobi is privileged to the few," said Hizashi. "It is dangerous and not an easy path to walk. That is another reason why the unspoken second exam was given to potential genin. You are among the youngest to graduate and physically in every sense, you are a child, but that does not excuse you from the responsibility you've chosen for yourself."

"Right…" I murmured quietly.

With how everyone treats me as a child, I nearly forgot what it was like to be an adult. When was the last time I had to worry about bills? Tesuri and Kushina footed most of the living essentials and I really didn't need to chip in for anything. Sure, I had to pay for repairs when Santa nearly demolished my umbrella, but that can't compare to supporting a family.

…Come to think of it… How come I haven't thought about my family up to now? I'll admit I'm a bit tunnel vision if you keep me busy enough… but it's a bit odd that I haven't thought about them at all. As great as Tesuri, Kushina and everyone else… they're… not the same.

"You must take into account every action you make," said Hizashi, breaking me out of my thoughts. "If you were on a mission undercover, what would happen if you were exposed in enemy territory? What would happen to your team? What repercussions will the village face because of this?"

"Nothing good…" I answered, even though it was a rhetorical question.

"I trust you can carry yourself in an appropriate manner?" droned Hizashi.

"Yes, sir." I bit back the urge to sigh and composed myself properly pulling the umbrella off my shoulders and holding it front of me like a cane. I wiped away the look of annoyance and exasperation and replaced it with a stoic indifference.

Quite sure I look positively ridiculous trying to pull the look of indifference. Tesuri told me I looked constipated and Kushina said I looked adorable… Maybe I should ask a third party. They might be bias…

"Hokage-sama," greeted Hizashi as we made our way into the mission office.

"Hizashi, Kasa," returned Hiruzen with an aged smile. "I see you've made some progress with training."

I gave a courteous curtsey and kept quiet as expected for any proper lady… or more likely, I usually screw up polite speech patterns the moment I open my big mouth. I could work on that later… maybe…

"Some," repeated Hizashi in response to the old man's praise. "But I do believe that the best training comes from the field experience rather than practice."

The elderly man chuckled. "I see. And will your team be joining the mission today?"

"Of course," said Hizashi. "I do believe they're on their way, if they're not already here."

"Yo, Hizashi-sensei!" shouted an unfamiliar cheery voice.

The urge to grin at his greeting was torturous, but I must preserve! Tokuma might be right in that the team assignment office had a sense of humor. With how my new teammate said his greeting, no doubt Hizashi doesn't approve. Biting my inner cheek to keep a straight face, I snuck a peek in my peripheral vision and spotted a vague mop of brown hair along with two others.

"Zaji," said Hizashi warningly.

"Right, right! Sorry!" said Zaji, raising his hand to his head in a sheepish salute. "It's been so long since we had a mission! So where's our new temporary teammate?"

"She's standing next to Hizashi sensei," said another unfamiliar voice in a deadpan.

"...You're kidding right Muta? You're meaning to tell me that tiny little girl there is our new teammate?" said Zaji in disbelief. "I thought she was the client!"

A vein throbbed at the side of my temple. Oh, I'm not bothered by the tiny, short or little comments. Hell, those words never applied to me in my previous life. What I _am _annoyed with was the fact that I'm not intimidating whatsoever. I supposed it's more to my benefit that people underestimate me, but my inner brute demands recognition. My hand tightened on the umbrella handle briefly before Hizashi cough interrupted my bubbling rage. It took me a moment to gather myself before I plastered the sweetest smile on my face.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." I said, turning to greet them with a polite bow.

"…Okay…" said Zaji skeptically before he turned to Hizashi. "Sensei, are you sure she can handle a mission?"

"Oh, don't worry about little ole me." I said with as much sugary venom I could muster behind my hand. "My harmless demeanor only makes it easier for me to slaughter you and your entire family in your sleep. Tee-hee."

Dead silence.

Hizashi was probably going to kill me later for this break in character, but how could I resist? Glancing at my new teammates, I quickly noticed a trend that seemed to appear in nearly all genin teams in Konoha. I guess Konoha loves their idiot, stoic and fanatic combo. Say which one I am on Team Four and I will find you and_ end_ you.

Anyway, Team Thirteen had its stoic spot covered by an Aburame; at least I think he's one. Leaving only the fanatic position, which meant only one particular Uchiha could fill. Personally, I think I prefer being in a team with him more so than with Itachi.

"…Pft," sniggered Shisui as he tried to hide it behind his hand. "I'd sleep with my eyes open around her, if I were you, Zaji."

The brunette glanced at me with uncertainty and I returned with an unwavering smile.

"I'm glad that you all get along so well," said Hiruzen with a merrily, it's unclear whether he was joking or if he had an onset of senility.

"Hokage-sama, the mission, if you may?" interrupted Hizashi evenly. "I do believe the lot of them could get better acquainted later."

"Of course, of course," chuckled Hiruzen. "They could get acquainted under your watchful eye."

…Somehow I got the feeling that we're all going to pay for this dearly… very dearly.

* * *

Author's notes: (dodges flaming tomatoes) Sorry guys! I know nothing really happened in this chapter, but Kasa's with her new team at least! Also, if anyone is curious, all her teammates are canon characters so if you want to see what they look like, look it up. On a side note, I'm going to take a while to recover from this bout of sickness and travel somewhere with less spastic weather. So, most likely the next chapter won't be up until sometime during the next month. (sees the pitchfork and torches) Well! See you guys next time! (runs)


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four: Missions

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Missions**

So… bored…

An hour into the mission and I wished something would go wrong just so it wouldn't be so boring! Team Thirteen's C-Rank was to a businessman that believes his extremely hot wife is cheating on him, who wants to bet it's his wallet she's after and not his froggy good looks?

Anyway, our mission was to stalk his wife and find her boy-toy and where he lives. Simple enough… if it wasn't so damn boring. Good lord, if I want to follow a woman around shopping, I would've become a sales associate. The woman should really get a different color for her wardrobe aside from pink. Seriously, pink dress, pink lipstick, pink shoes, pink everything. What I wouldn't give to have this mission title into "A Study in Pink" at least that has murders. Oh, how I wish this was an assassination mission, anything to get away from this monotony.

"Dying?" asked Shisui evenly, his eyes glinting with mirth as he kept his face straight.

"As if Hizashi sensei would accept that excuse." I replied airily, doing my best to maintain my posture and form.

A wry grin touched his lips. "Have you seen Itachi recently?" asked Shisui.

"Not since Fugaku-san passed my morning training to Hizashi sensei… he was quite adamant that I finish training with kunoichi training." I resisted the urge to sigh.

"Looks like you made progress," said Shisui in good humor as he bumped shoulders with me. "I would never think that our little Kasa could pull off being a lady."

I broke my attention on our target and glanced briefly at him. "Am I supposed to take that as a compliment or an insult?"

"Had it been a couple of weeks ago, your fiery temper would've flared up, followed with a duck threat," said Shisui with a soft theatrical sigh. "I'm going to miss that… Hmm, now that I think of it, how exactly were you going to turn us into ducks anyhow?"

"…Turning people into ducks requires an intricate process of completely unnecessary steps, with roller-skates, tar and lots and lots of duck feathers." I answered.

"…That's it?" said Shisui with a raised brow as if he's disappointed. "From how you always talked about it, I thought there would be more."

"That's the child friendly version." I added. "The other one would require me to knock you out, disable you from using chakra and taijutsu ever again and then sell you to a madam to shell you out to the highest bidder, which most likely will be creepy pedophiles that has a fondness for snakes and other kinky things."

Shisui stared at me wordlessly.

"I'm still debating which one I should do." I said pleasantly, biting back the urge to cackle at the look on his face.

"… Do I want to know what the heck you two are talking about?" crackled Zaji's voice over the headset.

I paused, startled by his voice. "…Were our headsets on the whole time?"

"Nope, just yours," replied Zaji. "…Should I worry that you might turn us into ducks anytime soon?"

"I don't believe so," crackled Muta's voice as he joined in the conversation. "From what I've gathered, only those with the Uchiha name were given such threats."

"Oh," drew out Zaji in realization. "So it's an Uchiha thing. I didn't know you guys liked girls that's—"

"Zaji, it will become your thing if you continue on that train of thought," said Shisui warningly.

"He's getting defensive," said Muta. "I believe that is a sign of—"

"The mission," interrupted Hizashi, exasperation tethering at the edge of his voice. "Or have you all forgotten about it?"

"Target sighted at twelve." I answered to make sure Hizashi doesn't kill me later with more training. I wonder if clashing conversations was another Konoha team dynamic because even the normally calm Shisui wasn't immune to the squabbling.

"The guy looks old enough to be her father," commented Zaji. "Is he really the guy we're looking for?"

"It's possible he's just an acquaintance of sorts," noted Muta. "Maybe a business partner of our client?"

"…I don't think so, something about them doesn't seem right," said Shisui.

"What do you mean?" asked Zaji.

"Just look at the way she smiles at him," said Shisui as he pointed out the subtle interactions between the two. "That sort of smile isn't one you give to someone you barely know. Not to mention the subtle way they brush their hands against one another. There's something more here."

"Hizashi sensei, should I confirm it?" I asked.

"Try not to screw up," replied Hizashi, his voice distorted through the static.

Shisui glanced at me curiously. "What are you planning?"

"Just watch." I said conspiringly with a grin before darting behind a building for cover. My hands went through a short run of seals as I charged up my chakra. "Transform!"

In a poof, I appeared as a frantic looking handmaid from our client's household before dashing out towards the woman.

"Milady Rina!" I cried out daintily as I weaved through the crowd in an amateurish fashion. Good lord, someone punch me. I used the word dainty to describe myself. "Milady wait!"

The reaction was near immediate; the woman tensed and snapped her attention to me. The man on the other hand remained calm and made a smooth turn of his heel to walk off. If we weren't watching them, it would have been a smooth escape for him. There's definitely something up with them.

"What is it Sayuri?" asked the woman stiffly. With the way she carried herself, she was doing her best to not allow her gaze to follow the man.

"Ryunosuke-sama will be having guests this evening, will you be joining him for dinner?" I asked, faking the breathless heave from the run.

"You came all this way out here to ask me that question?" She stared at me in a deadpan. "Of course I'll be home! When am I not home? Are you stupid?"

"Sorry, milady!" I whimpered pathetically, refusing to break character. I probably should've picked a better question, but too late now. Just stick with it! "But you left without a word this morning so I thought—"

"You thought wrong!" snapped Rina in ire. "What do I have to do to get someone with a brain around here? No! Not even a brain! Even half a brain would be better than an idiot like you!"

Wow… harsh much? I feel a little bad for the girl I'm impersonating. I wonder if I can sue her for mental anguish? Would that even exist in this world? Hmm, scratch that, I don't care. What with this weird semi-feudal-ish world, I'm not about to waste time dissecting its laws and ethics. Besides, I'm a freaking ninja! We work around the law anyway. I'll make sure to leave something nice for the woman before our mission is over.

"Why are you still standing here? Don't we have guests coming? Go home and tend to your duties!" snapped the woman.

"Y-yes milady!" I stuttered for good measure as I bowed repeatedly.

"Don't just stand there! Get going!" snapped the woman again before I gave one last bow and darted off in a frenzy, crashing into several people and apologizing as I went. Maybe I should've picked a maid that was less clumsy… The poor thing is going to get a tongue lashing later.

"You couldn't have thought of a better question?" crackled Shisui's voice over the hidden earpiece as I ran for cover.

"I confirmed it did I not?" I retorted under my breath as I hid myself and laced my fingers together. "Kai!" The image of the distressed maid disappeared and I peeked out from my cover for a better look at our target.

"I've got to say, lover-boy is slick," said Zaji. "He slipped away pretty smooth for a civilian."

"The man is hardly a boy," injected Muta.

"Do you need to take everything so literally?" grumbled Zaji.

"What's our next objective?" I interrupted before another bout of team squabbling starts. I swear they're almost as bad as my team. "Do we report back to the client? Or do we continue to observe and gather more information on the man?"

"What do you all think?" asked Hizashi, obviously testing our decision-making on the field.

On the one hand, we know the face of the man we were paid to find. On the other, our client might or might not know who he is. Do we follow and gather more information, such as his name and locations where he could be found or do we report back to the client? In a C-Ranked mission, it would save a ton of time if we just went with the extra step and stalked the man, in case the client had no clue of the man's identity.

However, had the mission been a higher rank and enemy shinobi were involve, the decisions would be made differently. Blindly stalking a target is not the wisest thing to do.

"I say we report back to the client and call it a day," said Zaji. "We found the guy he wanted right? And we could just do a transformation for him to see his face."

"What if the client has no clue who that is?" interrupted Muta. "I suggest we follow the suspect and gather as much information as we can on the off chance that the client requests a follow-up and further investigation."

"But that's not even a part of the mission objective!" complained Zaji.

"Would you rather waste time scouring the town looking for the man at a later time if we do end up getting a add-on in the mission?" retorted Muta.

"No," grumbled Zaji.

"I don't think Zaji's completely wrong though," commented Shisui.

"Your thoughts?" asked Hizashi.

"Technically, our mission is done and over the moment we found our client's wife with that man and the extra legwork isn't really necessary considering our mission parameters doesn't include a thorough investigation. However, I do agree with Muta that there might be a possibility that we might have an add-on to the mission if the client is not pleased," noted Shisui.

"And what do you propose we do?" continued Hizashi, his betraying none of his thoughts.

"We should follow the suspect and gather whatever information we could, at least until we can locate him again if necessary. If not, the amount of effort we wasted is minimal at best," concluded Shisui.

"Kasa?" continued Hizashi, his voice betraying nothing. "Your thoughts?"

"Uh…" Shit, what do I say? "I think Shisui has a valid point, but…"

"But?" prompted Hizashi.

Crap… uh… m-make up something! Quick!

"There's a miniscule chance that the suspect isn't our target. I think we should split into two teams, one to investigate the suspect, preferably a team with better combative skills in case things go sour. The other team, one that is more familiar with our target, should continue surveillance on Rina-san." I blurted.

Shit! Why did I suggest splitting the team? Nothing good ever happens when people split up! Or was that only in horror movies? Huh… when was the last time I saw a movie? Better yet, what was the last movie I saw?

"…Did you all get that?" said Hizashi as he finished whatever orders he was giving.

Damn it! Curse you, short attention span!

"Um… Can you repeat that? I didn't pick that up." I lied.

"…You dazed off again," droned Hizashi.

"No I didn't!" I protested.

Dead silence followed and it would have likely continued much longer if I weren't already aware of the scathing glare accompanying the silence.

"… Yes…" I muttered under my breath. "I apologize for my lack of attention."

"Do try to pay more attention in the future," noted Hizashi. "We're splitting into two teams as you suggested. The team following Rina will comprise of Shisui and Muta. You and Zaji will be with me following our suspect."

"…Why am I on the pursuit team?" I asked warily, certain that my combative skills are subpar compared to my new teammates.

"It's obvious due to the fact neither you or Zaji should be trusted to stalk a target without Hizashi sensei's guidance," droned Muta.

Ah, that makes more sense.

"Hey!" protested Zaji. "I am totally capable of handling myself! Hizashi sensei obviously put us on this team because he knows we kick ass."

More like ass kicked. Personally, I'm not bother by this; at least I know if I screw up, Hizashi would be there to save my sorry ass.

What? I'm a freaking level one medic with barely any medical skills and crappy ass defense. I'd be glad I survive fighting sewer rats and ginormous bees! Though… knowing my luck, I'd be bested by a slime. A level one slime, now wouldn't that be sad?

"Uh… Hizashi sensei, both targets are leaving." I interrupted.

"You all know what your objective is," started Hizashi. "If all goes well, we'll rendezvous in an hour. You all know where."

"Except Kasa," inserted Shisui cheerily.

"I dearly hope you fall into a pit and drop into an endless abyss where you will perish." I said with sugary venom.

Shisui chuckled. "I love you too."

"Enough, Team Thirteen move out," ordered Hizashi.

Once we split and followed our targets, it didn't take long before Shisui and Muta left our communication range. As genin we were issued the standard radio with a hundred-meter radius, a range that's hardly useful for anyone above a genin, but for a jounin sensei, it meant if shit happens they have more than enough time to get to their student, give the idiot in trouble didn't get themselves killed.

"So, what would make a woman like a man that's old enough to be her father?" asked Zaji curiously.

"Many reasons," said Hizashi, but supplied no further information.

"That's it?" said Zaji in disappointment when silence fell. "No wise words? No warnings about how all women are evil?"

"You do know it defeats the purpose of him warning you if you know already right?" I drawled over the static.

"Touché," noted Zaji. "So, same question as before, why would a woman like a man that's old enough to be her father?"

He's a persistent one isn't he? I'm surprised Hizashi sensei hasn't killer-intent his ass to the grave yet…. Or has he done it already and this was the aftermath?

"Why are you asking me?" I returned the question.

"Duh, you're a girl," said Zaji. Even without seeing him I could tell he's was rolling his eyes.

"And you're a boy." I agreed.

"Huh?" said Zaji, puzzled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Exactly." I said.

"Are you sure you're eight?" asked Zaji.

"No, I'm actually in my thirties if you count the last eight years of this second life." I replied truthfully, as if anyone is going to believe it.

"…Wait, serious?" asked Zaji, baffled. Well, maybe this one would…

"I'm under disguise in a transformation jutsu. I'm actually a four hundred-foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings… that sparkles when in direct sunlight." I added as an after thought.

"Now you're just yanking my chain," grumbled Zaji. "As if anyone sparkles in the sunlight. You've got to show me your true form sometime thought okay? I've never seen a platypus bear before."

I paused briefly. "Were you dropped on your head as a child?" I asked.

"Were you?" retorted the boy.

"Cease your bickering and keep your eyes on our suspect," ordered Hizashi.

"Yes, sensei." We chorused, but let it be known we will have another match!

Compared to the rest of the mission, bickering with Zaji was actually kind of fun. He's not dull-witted as acts even though he technically is that idiot of the team. It was all an act, remember what I said about Hizashi assigning everyone a role on a weekly or bi-monthly basis? Zaji's role for this particular week was a gullible country bumpkin. If I didn't know about Hizashi's training routine, I might actually think he was that daft. Though, the act wasn't too far off from his true personality. After all, Hizashi knows the limits of his students and we are only just genin.

I feel a little gypped that my assigned role was a proper lady. I could do it, I just don't like to.

Anyway, the rest of the mission was rather dull. Can't expect much, considering in C-Rank missions, the most danger was a possible bandit attack and while I'd like to say our suspect was secretly some big-shot Yakuza boss and we totally stumbled into his lair and fought about a hundred men each, that didn't happen. Rina just had a taste for older men and he wasn't the only one. Shisui and Muta found several others while following her.

You should've seen the look on our client's face when we showed him the faces of the men we found. Who knew she was a serial adulterer? She's really good at keeping it a secret too, none of them knew about the other men. I wonder if we can recruit her and train her to be a kunoichi? She has the whole subterfuge thing down.

Nah, she'd probably hate us for cutting off her cash cow and backstab us without us knowing. She is a good actress after all.

Anyway, by the time I finished the third C-Ranked mission with Team Thirteen, the chakra inhibitors were long out of Tokuma and Team Four was reinstated the week he formally rejoined the active roster. As fun as it was with Team Thirteen—I'm using fun loosely, I hate reconnaissance work—I missed the oddity of Team Four.

"TOKUMA!" I screamed as I tackled the Hyuga boy with a hug. "I missed you!"

"You saw me this morning for training!" He placed a hand on my face, trying to pry himself from my crushing hug.

"But that was training with Hizashi sensei!" I whined.

"Get off!" grunted Tokuma as we got into a weird redirecting game. Where he would slip out of my grasp, but I'll dance into his path and latch on again before he manages to flee.

"Give it up Tokuma," sighed Santa as he rolled his eyes. "She did the same thing to me when she saw me five minutes ago."

"Damn it, I should've never let Hizashi-sama teach you all those moves!" complained Tokuma as I caught him again and hung off his back like a koala bear.

While I'm still not much for combat, most of the dances and moves Hizashi taught me were good for evasive maneuvers as well as interception. The C-Ranked missions that followed the initial mission with Rina all turned into interception missions when the targets fled and retaliated. Not that I did much of the fighting. My role in those missions was to intercept and confuse or distress the target. You'd be surprise how many grown men succumb to a lost child that's close to tears.

Though, that's only if they're not heartless bastards. In cases like those, use the surrounding crowd to your advantage. That's right; mob mentality, make a crowd think the target is bullying a helpless little girl and then sic them on him. It works wonders.

"Who would've thought a dead last like Kasa could find a way to cling onto you of all people," sniggered Santa as Tokuma finally gave up and I hung on his back like a limp doll.

"Everyone has his or her specialties," interrupted Kurei before we snapped attention to his voice.

"KUREI SENSEI!" I used Tokuma as a bouncing board as I pounced towards our jounin sensei. However, before I could latch onto the man, he grabbed me by the back of my kimono and hauled me up like a bad puppy.

"I'm glad to see you too, but I do believe Hizashi mentioned something about receiving updates on your performance every now and then," commented Kurei.

My blood ran cold and likely my face paled if the amused look on the jounin's face was any indication. "No! Don't tell him about this! I'll be good! I promise! If he hears about this, he'll murder me!" I whimpered pathetically.

"Will I see you accosting your teammates again tomorrow?" asked Kurei.

"Noooo," I wailed. Had I paid attention, I would've noticed the hint of amusement glinting in his normally stoic red eyes. Since I wasn't, I wailed like no tomorrow. "I'll be a good girl! Don't make me take calligraphy lessons again! I'll do anything! I'll give you my first born!"

"… Is this Hizashi sensei that scary?" asked Santa as my offers became more and more ridiculous.

"His lessons aren't that bad…she's just really bad at it," noted Tokuma.

"Sensei, while Kasa's having her mental breakdown, what's on the agenda today?" asked Santa, completely ignoring my babbling mess.

Of course, I didn't notice one bit of the conversation going on, rambling like a lunatic will do that to you. Considering this was the first day back for Tokuma, we ended up doing mainly D-Ranked missions, something to ease him back into the groove or some nonsense of the sort. I expected it to take as much time as we've done before, but surprisingly we finished in half the time.

"Does it seem like it was much easier?" I asked once the mission debriefing was over and we handed in our completed mission scroll to the office.

"It better be easy," grumbled Santa. "This is nothing compared to the six C-Ranks Shirakumo-sensei put me through."

"Shirakumo-sensei?" I asked.

"Your other boyfriend's sensei." Tokuma raised a brow. "What kind of ninja are you? Shouldn't you at least know that?"

"I'm not going to even retort to that." I huffed and turned my attention back to Santa. "So, what sort of C-Ranks did you get? Hizashi-sensei only got us the reconnaissance related ones."

"Escort missions," said Santa in a deadpan. "In general, they're not bad, but when Itachi steps in to fight, let me tell you, your boyfriend is a beast. It's near impossible to keep up with his speed and Shirakumo-sensei will run you to the ground if you don't pull your weight during missions. I've lost count how many punishment exercises I've been through."

"I guess that explains part of it." I murmured.

"You of course, we don't need to ask if your psychotic meltdown earlier was any indication," drawled Santa but glanced to Tokuma guiltily when he noticed our quiet teammate. "Sorry, we really shouldn't be talking about C-Ranks, it's my fault that you were indisposed for so long."

"The time's not wasted," said Tokuma after a moment. "I've improved on my training despite the chakra restrictions. I just need some time to refine it… though…" a wry grin touched his lips. "It was quite amusing to pulverize the dead last every morning."

"You did not pulverize me!" I huffed. "I was going easy on you."

"Sure, in another reality maybe," said Tokuma in good humor.

"Should I send you into another impromptu vacation again?" I grumbled.

"That was all Santa, you were just picking up his spoils," snorted Tokuma.

"Oh yeah?" I puffed up my cheeks. "I've gotten better! I'll totally beat you during our next training session!"

"I like to see you try," continued Tokuma. "Without Santa, you're not that hard to beat."

"Do I need to break you two up again?" sighed Santa. "We just got back!"

He was promptly ignored as we continued bickering. Even Kurei-sensei didn't bother with his personal input this time. Even though we were apart for weeks, our team still picked up exactly where we left off. No doubt giving the man a migraine or an ulcer.

Overall, my short time as a genin seemed peaceful and calm compared to the previous years of terror and panic. Though, unless someone turns inexplicably evil in the next week or two it'd be hard to match the terrors that plagued me the past three years in Konoha.

I wonder how long will this calmness last? I get the feeling that something was going to change soon. Something big. It was something I should worry about, yet for the life of me, I couldn't make sense about this nagging feeling at the back of my mind.

What exactly?

"Sa-sa!" chirped Naruto's cheery voice as I stepped through the door and shuffled off my shoes.

"Hey, Naru, did you miss me?" I said, patting his head as he clung onto my leg briefly before darting off to who knows where in the house in a giggle.

Ah, whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing too bad… I hope.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm back! Updates aren't going to be back to speed just yet, but as I promised. A new chapter in roughly a month's time. Now that we've gotten through intro to being a genin, let's get to the fun bits! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are awesome!


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five: Hacks!

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Hacks! **

"…I can't believe you're this bad," noted Kushina as she hovered over my latest attempt at drawing seals. "Naruto's finger-paintings look better than this."

I scowled and glared at the mess of Rorschach blots I tried to call seals. "I told you, I couldn't do it."

In my old life, I've gotten plenty of people telling me that I should become a doctor. Note, that it has nothing to do with my intellectual prowess or my compassion toward others, which I must add is near non-existent. It has everything to do with my chicken-scratch handwriting. Hell, it's bad to the point that sometimes I don't even know what the hell I wrote. I was lucky that Hizashi showed pity and let me off from calligraphy lessons when I managed to make my words legible.

"This might be a problem," sighed Kushina as she ran her hand through her hair. "A seal user that can't make seals. You're not going to be able to do much if you can't even make a basic storage seal. Not unless you can find a seal maker that matches your specialization."

"Kaa-san told me as much when she tested me." I grumbled, rubbing my hands over my face in frustration. "Where am I going to find a seal maker?"

"I would offer to make seals for you, but it's probably best you find a partner that's compatible, considering… well, you know," apologized Kushina sheepishly.

Her hand briefly brushed over her stomach, hinting at the demonic chakra we carried, in case Naruto was listening in. Had I not become a pseudo jinchuriki, Kushina could very well made all the seals I would ever need. Unfortunately, due to the fact that she was formerly the Kyubi's jinchuriki and I have large amounts of Isobu's chakra running through my system, our chakras didn't mesh well and when used in seals, they either worked poorly or not at all.

Thank god that's all it did, can you image if it blew up? I'd be cursing the unfairness of the Uzumaki curse. Making me a perfect seal user, but with absolutely no talent in making seals. Then, when I find someone who could make me seals, my chakra is not compatible! What kind of bullshit is this?

"What about the seals on my body? Can we experiment with that? They're information seals right? Maybe there's something there I could use?" I suggested.

"Hmm…" pondered Kushina.

"You said I could try it as long as I have supervision right?" I pointed out.

"I much rather you didn't until you've gotten more training," noted Kushina with a finger to her cheek.

"But it's almost time for my evaluations!" I protested.

"They're just evaluations, they're not going to take away your ninja status if you don't do well," sighed Kushina exasperatedly.

"Then how come Tokuma and Santa aren't getting them? Hell, I don't think Shisui or Itachi's teams are getting that either." I protested.

"Well," started Kushina uncomfortably, but she never bothered finishing her sentence.

"Still having trouble?" asked Tesuri as he poked his head in from the other room.

"Trouble!" shouted Naruto gleefully from his arms.

"This is hopeless!" I dropped my head onto the table loudly, not caring about the pain or the ink that was sure to smudge all over my face.

As you can already tell, evaluations were not part of the norm for genins, those were usually done for jounin and Anbu-leveled shinobi to assure that they would not meet an early death whether due to exhaustion or debilitating injuries. Continuing on this line of thought, I get the sinking feeling this evaluation has everything to do with whether or not I could take up the role of being Naruto's keeper, on the off chance he decides to go absolute nuts and unleash the Kyubi on these poor bastards.

At this point, had I been Isobu's actual container, I might just release the demon to spite them. Screw protecting Konoha, they're going to push me to Madara and turn them all into good little puppets with the way things are going. Stupid Danzo and his shadow machinations, if on the off chance I turn evil, the first thing I'm doing after I become supreme overlord of the world is to off the conniving old man. Let's see how he likes them apples!

"Kasa," said Kushina as she knocked on the table lightly to catch my attention. "Did you hear a word I said?"

"No." I sulked and wailed. "What's the point? I can't make any seals and it's not likely I'll find another seal master that would make them for me. I'm going to fail the evaluations!"

"Stop being dramatic," chuckled Kushina. "There's more than one way to make a seal."

I rolled my head to glance at her. "What do you mean?"

She grinned brightly. "Are you interested?"

"You're not pulling my leg are you?" I asked suspiciously.

"You can be the judge of that for yourself, do you want to try it or not?" asked Kushina, her grin never wavering.

"…I'll bite." I said after a moment. "How does this other method work exactly?"

"We're going to need a bigger space to work with," said Kushina before she glanced towards Tesuri. "What time do you have work?"

"I can watch Naruto for a couple of hours if you need," offered Tesuri in amusement.

"Great! You can come along and be my guinea pig," said Kushina cheerily.

"…Wait, what?" said Tesuri before he found himself pushed out of the door with Naruto in his arms.

It was a bit amusing to see Tesuri dumbfounded so easily by the energetic woman. Maybe he has a weakness against Uzumaki women? Or maybe just the Uzumaki blood in general. I swear Naruto has him wrapped around his little fingers with how Tesuri dotes on him. Hmm… I wonder if that's why he joined Akatsuki in the first place.

Anyway, Kushina wanted to use Tesuri as a sparring partner as a means for demonstration. Of course, I had no clue that was what she planned until we were in the third training ground and Naruto was thrust into my arms, a safe distance away.

"Come at me," said Kushina as she rolled her arms and cracked her knuckles in preparation.

"…Are you sure?" asked Tesuri. "You haven't had a spar since Naruto was born."

"Oh shut up and just do it. It's not much of a demonstration if I don't have someone attacking me. It's a defensive sealing technique anyhow," said Kushina with her hands at her hips. "Come on, we don't have all day."

Tesuri sighed through his nose as he slipped into his basic stance. "All right, all right," said the man as Kushina raised her arms delicately as if she was going to dance.

The two had a brief stare off as if to size up one another before Tesuri took the first move. The blue-haired man charged, arms maneuvering in a manner that distracted the eyes from his true movements. Kushina in turn twirled and skipped around his attacks much like a fast-paced gypsy dance. Actually, now that I've a better look, she really is doing a gypsy dance.

"This isn't much of a defense," noted Tesuri as he casually threw in another attack, half-hearted at best. He wasn't even bothering going beyond taijutsu in fear that he might hurt her. "I thought this was supposed to be a demonstration. You're not going to demonstrate much if you're going to dance the whole way."

"Did your wife tolerate you being such a pansy when it came to sparring?" drawled Kushina. "Just attack me already."

Tesuri raised a brow. "Are you trying to incite me, Uzumaki-san?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me by my name? For goodness sakes we've been living together for two years!" grumbled Kushina.

Why do I get the feeling that they're flirting? I shook my head, damn overactive imagination. As I turned my attention back towards the fight, I noticed that Kushina hasn't whipped out any pre-made seals or even unleashed any ninjutsu or genjutsu attacks. Just what does…? Oh… Oh!

"Uzumaki-san, I—"

"Tou-san! Beneath you!" I interrupted, but it was too late.

Kushina grinned gleefully as she slapped her hand to the ground. "Got you!"

Tesuri had but a moment to glance at his feet before the ground turned into sludge and plunged him, knee-deep into the liquefied ground. He would've went deeper I suspected, if not for the amount of chakra he was pulsating around him. I'm really jealous at the speed he could direct his chakra throughout his body. If I was in his position, no doubt I'd be neck-deep if not under.

A contemplative look crossed Tesuri's face as he tried to make sense of the situation. There were no seals on the ground and judging by how he attacked, he made certain that she couldn't draw any efficiently, if at all.

"Interesting, I expected you to draw seals with your feet, especially since you decided to fight while dancing," noted Tesuri as he breathed out through his nose. "But you didn't make any marks on the ground."

Kushina snorted. "That would be obvious wouldn't it? And considering Kasa-chan can't even write her name legibly to save her life, what makes you think she can do it with her feet?"

"I'm within hearing distance!" I shouted.

"I hear you sweety," returned Kushina, but her attention remained on Tesuri. "I'm a bit out of practice with this method of seal combat, but I'm surprised at the speed you've counter it. If Kasa didn't warn you, how deep would you have plunged?"

"Maybe waist deep," replied Tesuri as he carefully pulled himself out by wiggling his leg and pushing down at the sludge with his chakra enhanced hands. "But in that situation, I might not be able to defend myself."

"Oh, you're just being modest," grinned Kushina.

Good lord, they're trading false pleasantries.

"Someone throw a punch already!" I grumbled under my breath. Naruto glanced up at me with a clueless expression and babbled incoherently. "You said it little buddy."

For the life of me, I couldn't make sense how Kushina managed to perform that earth-base attack without any seals in sight. If I didn't feel something going off, I would've never known she was making one. There were no hand seals, no drawn seals, nada, zip, zilch. Seriously, I was on the same line of thought with Tesuri, completely expecting her to draw with her feet. How did she do it?

"Did you work it out yet?" grinned Kushina as she and Tesuri strolled over.

"You cheated." I concluded after a moment. "There's no way you could've done that without hand seals or premade seals."

Thwack!

"Guess again," said Kushina as she smacked me upside the head.

"Ow!" I complained, covering the back of my head, grumbling as I tried to think of another answer. "It has something to do with the dance?"

"And?" continued Kushina teasingly.

My frown deepened, but I couldn't think of a single answer. However, Tesuri on the other hand does have some clue to how she did it. Though, I can't make heads or tails of the hand signs he was trying to use to pass the message on.

"Awkward turtle?" I said in confusion before Tesuri sighed and raised a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose.

Kushina gave Tesuri a hearty slap to the back. "You tried."

"How do we normally perform ninjutsu or genjutsu?" said Tesuri in exasperation.

"Hand seals." I replied bluntly. "What does that have to do with this? Kushina-san didn't use hand seals."

"No, but what did she use?" continued Tesuri patiently.

I frowned and glanced at Kushina again. Her smile never wavering as she rolled her wrist in a delicate manner often used for exotic dances. I paused… You've got to be shitting me.

"The dance moves are seals?" I said in disbelief.

"Bingo!" said Kushina brightly. "Personally, it's not a form of seals I like to use since it's so elaborate and bothersome, but since you seem to pick up dances like fish to water, this is probably the best form of seals you can use."

"…How is it different from using hand seals?" I frowned. "Wouldn't hand seals work faster?"

"How fast can you seal with your hands?" asked Kushina.

"Uh… maybe ten to thirty seconds depending on what jutsu it is?" I said uncertainly.

"How fast can you molding your chakra while doing that?" continued Kushina.

I paused, pondering on the matter.

"All seals work the same, it's just the matter of how fast you can activate one or the other and how much chakra you expend when doing so," said Kushina as she went into lecture mode. "Pre-made seals give the advantage of not needing to mold and shape the chakra required to perform a jutsu. However, the issue that lies within it is that you need to know exactly how to channel chakra through such seals."

I raised a brow at this and she grinned.

"You, of course, have no issue, you're a natural at seal activation, but since you can't make a seal to save your life," I grimaced here. "You'll have to rely on another means of creating mass destruction."

"…Don't you mean self-preservation?" interrupted Tesuri.

"Wasn't that what I said?" asked Kushina with false innocence.

I found myself grinning as the fiery red-haired woman worked her way around Tesuri. The man really had no defense against her outside of battle.

"Anyway," continued Kushina as she flicked her hair behind her. "Since you're an enforcer type, the ninjutsu and genjutsu fields will never be your strong points unless you work in conjunction with another person. Your issue is in molding and manipulating chakra for specific purposes. You can, through hard work, overcome this, but…"

"But for the purpose of the evaluation, I'm not being tested on how well I work as support for others, am I?" I finished grimly.

An apologetic look crossed Kushina's face. "Unfortunately, most evaluations judge you on how well you work alone and on your individual skillsets."

I sighed dejectedly. "So, what's the point in learning dance seals? It's going to take just as long as doing hand seals. Maybe even longer."

"And that's where you're wrong," chirped Kushina. "Can you tell me what's the difference between a dance seal and a hand seal?"

"…Aside from the fact that one uses the legs and the other uses the hands?" I answered in a deadpan.

Thwack!

"Ow! Stop doing that!" I whined, holding my head.

"Take this seriously and I might," huffed Kushina.

"Uzumaki-san didn't only use her legs," inserted Tesuri, giving me a break for a change and for that my head is utterly grateful.

"Geez, why don't you tell her all the answers while you're at it?" grumble Kushina, but let it go for the sake of the lesson. "With hand seals, choice amounts of chakra is gathered and manipulated through the hands before a jutsu is unleashed. However, with dance seals, there's no need to concentrate chakra into a specific area considering the entirety of your body is used to make the seal."

For those of you who are lost in all this seal mumble jumble, here is the layman's explanation for how dance seals and hand seals work. Hand seals equals to putting a pen to paper, crafting the alphabet in calligraphy. Dance seals equals to dancing ballet to the YMCA song. Depending whether you're artistically talented or physically talented, the results varies. In my case, physical conditioning and instinct are my strong points rather than calculations and planning.

"So…" I started slowly as I filtered and sorted out Kushina's lecture. "If I master the dance seals, there's a possibility that I might be able to fight on an even plane with others, rather than just stand as support?"

"That's the idea," agreed Kushina. "After all, you do have a big role to uphold."

I tilt my head in confusion at her words.

"Did you forget your promise to be the best-est big sister to Naruto?" sighed Kushina. "How exactly are you going to watch over Naruto if you can't even take care of yourself?"

"I can too take care of myself!" I huffed and hugged the little bundle of energy in my lap. "Dance seals? Ha, it shouldn't take me that long to master them! Just you watch, I'll be the best there is! Right Naruto?"

"Wight!" giggled Naruto in agreement.

* * *

As confident as I was in mastering the four elements—I mean dance seals, I only had two weeks before my evaluation, which meant I practically had no time to learn anything significantly badass.

"Hello, Kasa-kun," greeted Hiruzen. "Are you ready for your evaluation?"

"…Can I reschedule to another time?" I asked lamely before Kurei jabbed me discretely with his elbow. "I mean, yes."

Hiruzen chuckled. "No need to be so anxious. It's only a merely a formality to check on your progress. It's not detrimental to your career."

Like hell this is _merely_ a formality. Why the hell is Danzo sitting there if it's _merely_ a formality?

"Let's see how much you've improved in the span of six months," droned Danzo. "Personally, I believe she should be under a mentor and not a team."

"I can assure you Danzo-sama that Kasa improved exponentially since her graduation," offered Kurei.

"I'll be the judge of that," noted Danzo offhandedly.

Great…

"Shall we proceed with the evaluations?" asked Hiruzen pleasantly.

Not that I have much choice in the matter.

"What do I need to do?" I asked.

"I've arranged a sparring partner for you. You needn't defeat him, but do try your best," said Hiruzen in his grandfatherly tone. "Tenzo, you may come in."

Tenzo? Now why does that name sound familiar?

"Hokage-sama," greeted a young man at the door.

Curiously, I glanced through my peripheral vision as he made his way to Kurei's other side. Brown hair, dark eyes, a happuri-styled hitai-ate, something that's not common at all, basic weapon's pouches on the hip and leg and a short sword strapped to his back… Hmm… I resisted the urge to scratch my head in wonder. Somehow I get the feeling I should know who he is, but the name Tenzo isn't ringing a bell at all. Quite sure he's not a major villain or else I would definitely remember… but…

"Kasa, this is Tenzo, he will be assisting with your evaluation," noted Hiruzen.

"A pleasure to meet you," greeted the young man pleasantly. "I look forward to our match."

"The pleasure is mine." I replied with a bow, Hizashi's training kicked in while my brain was busy trying to figure out who he was.

"Well, at least she's gained some manners," commented Danzo offhandedly. "Let's proceed with the evaluation."

Tenzo gave a formal bow before flourishing a hand towards the door. "Shall we relocate to the training grounds?"

I gave a silent nod and followed with my superiors in tow. As we changed locations, my gaze stayed on him. Just why the hell was he so familiar? Argh, it's times like these that I curse the paranoia that kept me from making notes. Is this guy significant in any manner?

"We're here," noted Tenzo as we came to a stop.

For the first time, I took a look at my surroundings and inwardly cursed at my short attention span. Which training ground was this? Hell, are we going to do a straight up fight or guerilla warfare? Can I even handle guerrilla warfare at this point and time? Quickly, I surveyed the area. Trees, trees and what do you know, more trees.

However, unlike the trees in the other training grounds or the civilian sectors of the village, these trees looked old. And by old, I meant ancient. Trees throughout the village and elsewhere ranged from twenty to eighty years in age. Judging by the thick trunks here, these were likely here before the village was formed. The thick humid air made the place feel more like a jungle than a forest. The hell? Do we have a training ground like this?

"Training ground number forty-four," noted Hiruzen wistfully. "It's been quite some time since I've been here."

My blood ran cold. Did he say forty-four? Why the hell are we doing my evaluation in a death trap like this place?

"Hokage-sama, isn't training ground forty-four restricted for genin?" I asked, doing my best not to squeak as I queried.

"Normally," agreed Hiruzen. "However, we would like to see how well you perform in less savory conditions. Every mission you had thus far was either low D-ranked missions or reconnaissance-based C-ranked missions. Neither required much combat according to the mission reports. For the evaluation, we'll use this as a chance to test your combative abilities among other things."

By other things, I think he meant survivability. Good lord, I'm going to have to contend with this Tenzo guy while trying to survive this death trap? I am so going to die. I know this village is known to produce child prodigies that can handle this shit, but I'm no prodigy! I'd be lucky if I don't trip and fall to my doom within the first ten minutes being here.

"Make sure you pay attention to your surroundings," suggested Kurei as he left me with some last minute tips.

Quite sure if Hizashi didn't put me through his training regime, I'd be quaking with my knees knocking.

"Please advise me." I said with a solid bow before tugging my umbrella into combat position.

"Likewise," said Tenzo as he shifted into a fighting stance.

"Time limit is sundown. Your objective is to either incapacitate or capture your opponent. No restrictions," said Hiruzen.

Danzo raised a brow at this. "No restrictions?"

"I trust their capable judgment," said Hiruzen with a bright grin. "At the ready! Begin!"

Immediately, I launched a handful of senbons before my opponent can retaliate. As he moved to dodge, I knocked my umbrella onto my shoulder and quickly went through the hand seals for the Hidden Mist Jutsu and released a dense cloud of mist into the immediate area using the water from the humidity.

"Hiding already?" commented Tenzo.

I didn't respond as I made note the general location where his voice came from. I know already I can't beat him in an outright match. If I want any chance at all, I would have to rely on hit-and-run tactics or traps. If my arsenal of skills was listed in a convenient battle menu, you would immediately notice the majority of those skills were meant for hiding and fleeing and have no place on the battlefield.

Sure, my list of iryo-ninjutsu has grown impressively since I've gotten training from both Rin and Tesuri, but I seldom get to use it considering the missions I go on rarely calls for a medic. Actually, it'd be sad if they actually needed me to heal them on those missions.

"Water Release: Hand of Waves!" shouted Tenzo.

I bit back a yelp as a torrent of water crashed through the mist, nearly plowing me into the closest tree. The mist dispersed some as I stared wide-eyed at the older boy. You've got to be shitting me. He can do elemental attacks? How is this even fair?

"That was short-lived," commented Tenzo in good humor.

Damn it! I inwardly cursed as I moved my hands again to reestablish the Hidden Mist Jutsu. All right, no more distractions this time! No thinking, just acting! I know that's a bad plan, but any plan I make will go down south the instant I'm done thinking it through.

Using the temporary coverage the mist offered I delved into training ground forty-four's forest. Hardly the safest place to hide in my case, but since I'm running on instinct rather than common sense, you'll have to excuse this poor decision. Step-by-step, jump-by-jump, I danced and dodged Tenzo's barrage of water-based attacks, hoping I could outlast his chakra supply.

"Shit, shit, shit! Why don't I have any long range attacks?" I found myself bemoaning as I danced out of the way of another torrent of water, using my umbrella as a shield to deflect whatever I couldn't dodge.

Had I been on the standard ninja shoes, I would've been fucked three times over. Unlike the typical trees surrounding Konoha, the trees within training ground forty-four has an abundance of chakra surging through them, which meant sticking to them made it harder than usual and—SHIT! Curse you short attention span!

"This just isn't fair." I came to a screeching halt, finding myself in front of a ginormous spider web with Tenzo following close behind.

"End of the line," noted Tenzo when he caught up.

Damn it, I just needed a little more time!

"How much chakra would you say you have left?" I asked, wheezing and heaving as I planted my umbrella on the ground as a makeshift cane.

"You do know it's easier for you to surrender at this point right?" pointed out the older boy.

"At least half right?" I ignored his advice and gave a wild guess. Tenzo's grin told me that I wasn't even close. "Good enough I suppose. I would've liked it if you had less than that though."

"Good enough?" repeated Tenzo in puzzlement before I clapped my hands together and summoned whatever chakra I could for the upcoming fist fight.

In that same instance, I dropped into the Hyuga's Gentle Fist stance before charging at Tenzo with great fevor. One issue with using the Gentle Fist style was that only a Hyuga could ever pull it off efficiently with the help of their byakugan. Consider I neither have the eyes or the necessary accuracy; I'm going to butcher the style to something more useable for me.

One thrust and another, I tried to strike at the general vicinity of the tenketsu points I was familiar with. Tenzo recovered from his bout of confusion and defended himself by dodging and redirecting my attacks. Unfortunately for him, he was in for a shock, all puns intended, as the chakra wasn't limited to my hands.

"YAH!" Tenzo yelped as his hand instinctively clamped down harder on my arm from the electric charge from my chakra.

"Lightning Release: Defibrillation." I supplied, relieved that it worked at all.

Technically, this jutsu is near useless in combat, considering it does little to no damage to whomever it's used on. The actual application for this jutsu is actually used in emergencies to restart the heart, hence the name defibrillation. Unless I could land the jutsu directly on someone's heart, the most they'll get was a nasty shock that'll stun them for a minute or so. However, for the purpose of this match, I needn't kick his ass, I just need to restrain and capture. I can't believe it, victory is mine! I actually—

CRACK!

"W-Wood Style: Smothering Binding Jutsu!" stuttered Tenzo through the shock before his arm turned into a tree with branches rapidly growing into wood-like vines.

"You've got to be kidding!" I said in disbelief as I moved to perform seals for the replacement jutsu, but unfortunately, Tenzo still had a firm grip on my arm, preventing me from escaping.

"S-sorry, but not this time," said Tenzo with a weak grin as I saw the barrage of wooden vines coming at me like a tentacle monster.

"Oh no, you don't!" I snarled, sick of always having the odds against me.

There was still enough chakra in my free hand for another defibrillation. I was ready to slam it into Tenzo's chest when suddenly he shoved me aside instead. Not expecting the sudden change in attack, I barely had enough time to catch myself and jump to another branch before I fell off.

"What's the big—" I started when I regained my footing, but stopped abruptly when I realized why Tenzo shoved me out of the way in the manner he did. Apparently, our scuffle attracted unwanted attention from the owner of the ginormous spider web I nearly ran into moments earlier and it wanted a piece of the action.

"I call hacks!" I snapped before hastily raising my umbrella to block of a particularly nasty spray of web from the spider, but the spray didn't seem to let up as I quickly noticed my legs were encased in the sticky substance as well.

By the time the spider was done, my umbrella was at least ten pounds heavier and I was glued to the spot, quite literally. Lowering my weapon, I resigned with an exasperated sigh as I stared at the terrifyingly enormous, black beady eyes.

"FML." I grunted as it screeched and came at me.

* * *

Author's Note: Two weeks! Almost back to the old schedule! Life is finally looking up for a change! At least for me, can't say the same for Kasa! How will she get out of this mess? Find out next time!


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six: Breaking Point

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Breaking Point**

As the screeching spider came at me, I quickly closed my web-covered umbrella and smashed it into the spider's mouth in an attempt to keep it at bay. Downside, it held only for a moment, as it was impossible for my childlike body and noodle-like arms to hold up more than my own weight. Upside, it gave me enough time to pull out four senbons and charge the suckers up with enough chakra to sharpen and pierce through the hairy bastard's eyes like jelly.

The spider screeched, toppling off the branch and squirming in agony as it plunged to the ground below.

"Ha! Try to eat me will you?" I yelled with a shaky voice before I found myself flailing from my unbalanced footing, legs still encased in spider webs.

With a firm stab of my umbrella to the branch beneath me, I used it as a crutch while charging an incomplete version of the chakra scalpel to cut away the sticky substance. No time for complete precision, not without knowing where the hell Tenzo was or what he was planning. The plan was to get free, get out and get moving.

Uh… that's about as far as my plans go… Hey, I'm improv-ing here. You try to come up with something after being thrown into freaking training ground forty-four without so much a heads up. Cut me some slack, I'm not a Nara. Though, I should probably have done something about the webbing on my umbrella, it's getting a bit heavy.

"Water Release: Hand of Waves!" shouted Yamato's voice from above.

I barely had enough time to whip my umbrella open before the torrent came down at me. With the pressure coming down from above, keeping my grip on the umbrella was becoming an issue. What's even more pressing was the fast approaching ground beneath me.

Shit! What are my options? Let go of my umbrella and possibly drown as the torrent washes me to who knows where or keep hold of the umbrella and hit the ground, breaking my legs and becoming a bloody smear on the ground… and maybe drown after that too.

Hmm… if I'm going to drown either way, let's go without the pain! Taking a deep breath, I snapped my umbrella shut and was immediately caught in the torrent and tumbled about as if I was in the rinse cycle. Second thought, maybe becoming a bloody smear wasn't that bad. Puffing up my cheeks and biting down on my inner lips, I tried my best to keep from breathing, but eventually failed when the torrent hit the ground and the air was knocked out of my lungs.

Desperate, I forced my hands together for another useless jutsu before I found myself settled and breathing again. The world was still spinning when I spotted Tenzo coming out from hiding with a confused frown.

"Odd… where did she go?" murmured the brunette as he surveyed the area.

I hastily covered my mouth as a sudden wave of nausea hit me. Good god, don't puke don't puke! It's one thing to give away my position, but it's another to give away my position while sitting in my own vomit. I am not a fan of Hiding In Water Jutsu, considering you're practically a sitting duck if the enemy can sense you. Oh the irony, I'm a sitting duck. Ha!

While Tenzo surveyed the area in hopes of finding my sorry ass, I took the time to mull over my thoughts and gather my bearings. We met for the evaluation at high noon since Hiruzen was needed in the mission office earlier in the morning to give out assignments and missions to the various shinobi in Konoha. Traveling to the training ground took maybe fifteen to twenty minutes at most and it took maybe another five minutes for Hiruzen to set down the rules of the game.

Tenzo and I have probably been going at it for at least half an hour if not more. Unless the torrent knocked me silly, it's probably one or two by now and it'll be another three hours before sundown… Not that any of that matters considering I have no way to defeat Tenzo or capture him. I swear this evaluation is rigged! How the hell am I supposed to beat him with his large repertoire of elemental and ranged attacks?

We're not even on the same class level! The best I could hope for was to hide and flee. No way is this guy a genin. Hell, I don't think he's a chunin, not with how he throws around elemental attacks. How old is he? Fourteen? Fifteen? Damn prodigies.

What was that Tesuri said about mastering elemental affinities? Something about how it's required depending on your rank? Oh who cares, this guy can use water like no one's business and wood as if it's an extension of his own body. Was wood even considered elemental? Or was it just called nature affinity? Ah screw it, who does this guy think he is? Gary Stu? Throwing around badass wood style attacks like Yama—

…Oh.

Now, don't I feel stupid, no wonder I didn't stand a chance. Isn't Yamato in ANBU or something at this age? Though, I suppose I did go for quite sometime without meeting someone from the main cast or relating to the main cast… but then again… why the hell am I matched up with a freaking ANBU? They're setting me up to fail!

…

It all makes sense now… Why else would I be stuck with a team that specializes in nothing, a sensei that specializes in weapons and everything that has nothing to do with my skillset and another sensei that emphasizes on the useless mannerisms befitting a kunoichi? If I didn't supplement with Kushina and Tesuri's lessons I would be even more abysmal than I already am.

I gritted my teeth.

Exiled for two years. Used as a Trojan horse in hopes I'd blow up in Hanzo's face. These bastards tossed me around like a worthless tool! I'm nothing more than a fool, used in their game of politics! It wasn't that Danzo was being careless; it was because I'm a worthless, disposable tool.

There's absolutely no value in destroying me or obtaining me. I'm useless in taijutsu, useless in ninjitsu, useless in genjutsu and even though I'm good in seals, I can't do shit since I don't have a seal master to make seals for me. If I was a jinchuriki it would make _some_ sense, but I'm not even a real one!

And as if adding kindling to a growing fire, my body burned with each passing thought. The more I thought about it, the more infuriated I became. I almost didn't notice the wooden spike that nearly skewered me as it plunged into my puddle.

"What are you doing?" said Tenzo, his voice barely audible over the blood pounding and pulsing in my ears.

No, not now! I was doing so well! Cursing, I pressed a hand to my head, struggling to focus and settle the raging energy. Settle damn it! SETTLE! I didn't train for two years for nothing! I curled up into fetal position hissing and growling as I forced down the chakra.

"Stay back!" I growled, smashing my palm into my head over and over again.

"You do know, if you shout like that while hiding, no one would even need a sensor to find you," droned Tenzo.

Ignore him! Get it under control! I can't— My hold on Hiding In Water Jutsu broke and I was spat out from my puddle. I screamed as every inch of my body burned with the invasive chakra.

"What on earth?" Tenzo's eyes widened as the demonic chakra flooded from my pores. "This chakra…"

As the pain grew, my senses slowly dulled. I could barely hear or see anything, but I could still feel. I could feel the demonic chakra coursing through my veins. I could feel the muddy ground beneath my puddle. However, it was a restrictive and slow tightening feeling on my body that made me focus through the haze of pain. Cloth? No—bandages.

"Enough… Never…" The words were broken as if part of a long speech I couldn't hear, but I recognized the raspy aged voice.

Him again. I gritted my teeth as the bandages pulled my focus back into the world. If only I had Isobu, then I would teach him the true meaning of fear! Only… there was no way he would possibly be terrified. This was Danzo, given the chance, he'd sooner enslave a demon to serve him rather than cower in fear. If the old bastard ever hides, it's to stab some poor soul in the back.

"Hokage-sama, look at her now. Uncontrollable," said Danzo. "She shouldn't have been allowed on a normal genin team."

Allow? ALLOW? Even now, they're still keeping up this bullshit? That's it! I've had enough. You want uncontrollable you bastard? You've got uncontrollable!

With a scream, I released my hold on the chakra and let it flood out of my system in three-fold. Immediately, the bandages wrapped around my person burned to a crisp. Those from Danzo and those wrapped around my sealed arms. You want to play you old bastard? We're going to play!

Using what little chakra I had control over, I charged it to my hands and slapped them to my arms. If I'm going to get screwed over, it'll be from my stupidity and my own hands. I'm tired of being fate's bitch. This time, I'm taking charge!

Unlike the previous times when I activated the seals, I wasn't aiming to save anyone. I wasn't aiming to help anyone. I just wanted to make someone_ pay_. I want them to suffer as much as I have!

As my mind sorted through the deluge of information flooding in, I found myself cackling at the hilarity of it all. All these badass seals I could ever use, all the wanton destruction and death I could cause… and I can't do a single one of them! All because I can't make a seal!

For the first time, I didn't need anyone to detach me from the seals. My hands slipped from my arms, one to hold onto my side as I laughed uncontrollably and the other to cover my face, trying to hide the miserable expression that I'm not doubt making.

"This is just cruel." I pressed my hands over my eyes as I continued to laugh. "Showing me all this and I can't use it? How is that even fair?"

With pain still searing through my body, I reached for the twine of seals around my neck and pressed my fingers onto the center seal. The demonic chakra licked at the disk before slowly the outer casing melted away and showed the carved seal hidden beneath.

"But I suppose, I'll use what I do have." I reigned in my laughter until it became sporadic giggles. "Sealing Technique: Amplification!"

As the seal activated, I could feel a tug as it ate away at the demonic chakra, converting it as it went. Despite my natural proficiency with seals, I couldn't activate this seal because of the protective casing around it. The reason for such precaution was due to the seal's nature to eat away at the user's chakra the moment it's activated. Had it been out in the open before all the chakra control and sealing lessons, I would've unknowingly activated it by accident and died of chakra exhaustion. Either because I couldn't cancel the seal or I couldn't keep myself from constantly activating it by accident.

The amplification seal boosts the power of the jutsus used in conjunction by two ranks, but in exchange it eats away at the user's chakra every second it's active. However, with the amount of demonic chakra currently dripping from my pores right now that hardly posed a problem.

"Uncontrollable you called me?" I said sweetly, pulling my hand away from my face as I crawled to my feet like a zombie. "Shall I show you how uncontrollable I am?"

"She's gone mad," droned Danzo as he brushed away the remains of his charred bandages.

"Oh, I'm mad alright." I said lowly as I raised my muddy hands to hastily weave them into seals. "Mad that I don't have anything remotely dangerous to eviscerate you and hang you by gastrointestinal tract!" I screamed. "Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

Immediately, the puddles in the surrounding area vaporized and shrouded everything thick humid fog enough to suffocate the common man. It would hardly affect a ninja, but that wasn't what I was aiming for.

"You think using the same tactics would help you any?" drawled Danzo. "It didn't work before, what makes you think it will work now?"

My hands went through another set of seals. "The mist isn't for hiding and fleeing!"

"What?" said Danzo.

"It's to soak you fuckers for this!" I snarled out, overcharging the jutsu as it tore through, using the mist to amplify the attack. "Lightning Release: Defibrillation."

As I mentioned before, this jutsu wasn't meant for combat, as it does little to no damage to the target. However, when using it in conjunction with an amplifying seal, I'm willing to bet, it's going to hurt like a bitch.

"Water Release: Tearing Torrent!" shouted Yamato as all the moisture in the air was drawn to his hand into a swirling mass of water.

How is he still moving? The amplifier seal should've boosted it to a C or B-ranked powered jutsu. Wait—no, he was affected. I could see him struggling to keep his hand still as it spasm from the current.

"Why are you interrupting me?" I snapped, reaching for my wire-strings and clapped my hands together to reinforce them with chakra. "My business is with the old bastard!" Looping the ends between the fingers on my right hand, I pulled out four wire-strings at an arm's length each and weaved the fingers on my left hand into the other end.

"You think, you can defeat me?" said Danzo with amusement, but I could see the slight twitch in his hand caused by the spasms from the lightning release attack.

"I apologize Danzo-dono," said Tenzo as he took a step in front of him. "But I believe her opponent is me."

Another wave of water attacks came at me and the ground became a muddy and slippery nightmare. Sliding with every step, I twist and turn my body to dance through the narrow area between his water onslaughts. Had I paid the least bit attention I would be cheering at every close miss I had, but since I only had anger and vengeance on my mind, the only thought was to get through these annoying attacks and strangle him with my chakra-enhanced wire-strings.

"Get out of my way!" I growled, whipping the thin wires around him as I slipped under another wave of water.

"Can't do that," said Tenzo as he hastily raised one arm up to the front of his neck and the other behind. "Wood Release: Three-Folded Shield!"

Branches formed around his arms, spiraling into Celtic knot-looking shields just as I pulled. The wires only managed to cut halfway through before stopping dead in its tracks.

"I am so sick of this!" I growled, tugging the wires against his shield as he pushed back. My skin burned and prickled at the demonic chakra covering me.

"What are you talking about?" Confusion crossed Tenzo's face.

"As if you would know!" I growled fighting to hold onto the wires, but eventually switched over to the Uchiha-style taijutsu when he overpowered my grip.

"Know what?" asked Tenzo as he maneuvered the shields on his arms to block my attacks.

"About getting turned into a pseudo-jinchuriki." I took a step back and charged. "About getting kicked out of the village like a dog."

Tenzo blocked my roundhouse kick.

"Dangled in front of a monster like Hanzo. Used as a ticking time bomb in hopes I do some damage to the bastard!" I skipped back switching to the Gentle Fist and charged my hands with chakra. "Treated like a traitor despite having done nothing wrong! All I wanted to do was stay in Konoha with Kushina-san, Naruto and everyone! I'm sick of all this bullshit I keep getting into!"

Right jab, northeast tenketsu, left jab, southwest tenketsu, open palm thrust, center chakra circulatory system.

Block, block, block, Tenzo wasted no time shielding himself from all my attacks.

"Sick of being useless in ninjutsu, useless in genjutsu, useless in taijutsu! SICK OF BEING A USELESS SACK OF SHIT!" I kicked up my umbrella from behind, catching it in my hand before I swung it forward like a bokken, whacking it against Tenzo's ever moving shields.

I thrust the umbrella forward before Tenzo pulled out his short sword, still sheathed to block and parried.

"You know how I cope with this? By pretending I'm okay with my fucking failures and joke that it's just bad luck and I'm not meant for this!" I huffed and heaved, breathless as I tried to block Tenzo's parries. It didn't take long before my umbrella was knocked out of my hands.

The quiet brunette lowered his sword without a word.

"I train, I study! I do whatever the hell I could whenever I could, but it amounts to nothing!" I kicked at my umbrella furiously. "I'm barely passable as genin support! _Genin_ support! Do you know what that means?"

Again, he said nothing.

"I'm not just dead last! I'm a dead weight!" I roared. "I can't fight. I can't make seals. The seals I do have are near useless because I have no means to use it to its fullest extent! And worst of all, I sound like a fucking bratty teenager that's bitching about how the world's unfair!"

"Kasa, that's enough. Calm down," said Kurei as he stepped in.

"No!" I snapped. "You know it too! Why else would you give me so much grief all the time? What use is a seal user if they can't even make seals?"

"Kasa-kun, you need to calm down," said Hiruzen as he stepped into view.

"Why should I?" I growled.

"You're forming a tail," said Hiruzen calmly. "If you continue on your tirade you'll lose yourself to the demonic chakra."

"Excellent! Why not dump me at the closest enemy camp? I'll just blow up on them while I'm there!" I snapped cynically. "Just like what the hell you wanted when you exiled me the first time right?"

"Kasa," said Kurei warningly.

"No, I insist." I hissed. "Throw me somewhere so I could wreak havoc on every unfortunate soul that crosses me. I'll do a good job. No wait! I won't! Because I'm a useless traitor!"

"Tenzo, I've seen quite enough. Please end this," said Hiruzen.

"Yes sir," said Tenzo obediently as he quickly went through a set of hand seals.

"Let's see you try!" I growled, pulsing chakra into one of the wing seals. "Sealing Technique: Barrier Wing!"

"Wood Release: Foo Dog Heads," said Tenzo as he slammed his hands on the ground.

Pillars of foo dog heads shot up from the ground with burning wickers on their heads just as translucent wings sprouted from the seal and wrapped around me protectively. I dashed towards my fallen umbrella as the foo dogs came to life and charged at me. Grabbing the umbrella, I reinforced it with demonic chakra before hastily carving seals on the ground.

"You already showed your hand when you said you can't make seals," shouted Tenzo from where he stood. "There's no point in bluffing."

"Who said I'm bluffing?" I snapped back with a violent last stroke before the foo dogs pinned me to the ground.

"Then why bother wasting your time drawing a seal that won't work?" asked Tenzo as the foo dogs gnawed at my Barrier Wing, trying to get to the demonic chakra.

"I said I can't make seals." I growled, struggling against the weight of the foo dogs on top of me as I reached for my sloppy carvings on the ground. "But I never said I can't blow it up!"

Tenzo's eyes widen as he hastily formed hand seals.

"EAT THIS!" I snarled as I sent a large burst of chakra into the ground.

The ground crackled as the seal tried to activate, but moments later a bright light enveloped the area, blinding me as it went. Tenzo shouted something in the distance before the silence took over and I knew of nothing else that happened in the forest.

* * *

"…Maybe we should get her a permanent room." Tesuri's soft grumbling greeted me the moment I woke. "She seems to end up in the hospital sooner or later."

"Maybe… Kasa-chan is a bit accident prone," agreed Rin.

Exhausted, I tiredly cracked my eyes open, blinking slowly as the hospital ceiling came into focus… Why am I in the hospital? Shouldn't I be dead? Or at least imprisoned somewhere with a ton of restraining seals?

…Or am I already sealed up? Twitching my fingers, I tested out how much movement I could make, but screamed at the burning pain scorching through my every nerve ending. Good god, why does everything hurt?

"Tesuri-san! She's awake!" shouted Rin as she rushed to my side.

"Hurry up and put her back under!" ordered Tesuri.

"W-what?" I struggled to talk through the pain.

"Sorry Kasa-chan, but you have to go back under!" said Rin before the world turned dark again.

I wasn't sure how long I was out, but I'm quite sure I was in and out of consciousness quite a few times as I heard snippets of conversations from Tesuri and Rin. None that I could make sense of, but that hardly matters when pain dominates my senses each time I had any semblance of awareness to the world. When I finally woke up to a moment where the pain didn't immediately hurl me into a screaming mess, I was thoroughly exhausted.

"Is this my punishment?" I groaned as I tried to push myself up, but with each move I made, the skin tugged painfully against the bandages. "Oh, someone just kill me already." I plopped back down, grimacing as my skin burned.

"Not even a minute awake and you're wishing for death?" Hiruzen's voice drew my eyes towards him, but I didn't bother moving my head. Everything hurts.

"Are you here to end my misery?" I asked hopefully.

"Has your anger subsided?" asked Hiruzen.

"If I say yes, will the pain go away?" I asked miserably. "I'll promise never to go crazy again if it stops hurting."

A soft chuckle escaped Hiruzen. "Unfortunately, it's not possibly to haggle with injuries. Though, I must say it would be useful if you could."

"Figures." I sighed, glancing up at the ceiling. "Since I'm still here, I'm guessing execution isn't on the punishment list. We did exile last time, but that's out since it did nothing to stop that can of worms. Are we doing torture this time? Just letting you know, I scream like a little girl. I'm already crying with these injuries. It's not going to be much fun for T&I, they'll be done with me in five minutes or less."

A sad expression crossed Hiruzen's face as he softly sighed through his nose. "We've done you a great wrong."

"Hmm? Really? You did something wrong?" I said, surprising the man. "It's wrong to care for your village? Protecting it from the dangers whether it's inside or outside of the village? Doing what you need to do to make sure the people living in it are happy and prosperous?"

"Kasa-kun," started Hiruzen and I shook my head despite the searing pain.

"You don't need to explain Hokage-sama." I grinned sheepishly. "I kind of had it coming with how I kept treating this life like a game. Always pushing off my failure as a joke, blaming it on bad luck instead of doing something about it. I should've known that my recklessness would come back and bite me in the ass…Though, I kind of wish it didn't do it with third degree burns. "

A chuckle escaped my lips, but it didn't last long as pain followed, forcing a hiss out instead. I pressed my head back into the pillow, clenching my eyes close, trying to will away the pain.

"Kasa-kun," said Hiruzen softly.

My eyes opened to his sadden aged face. Somehow, he looked so exhausted and frail.

"Nothing I could say can make up for what you've gone through all this time. I'm very regretful that you felt unwelcomed in the village for as long as you have," said the man.

"Does it really matter?" I mused offhandedly, staring at the ceiling again. It's straining to keep glancing at the corner of my eye to watch his expressions. "I'm an outsider after all. What I feel doesn't matter as long as Konoha—"

"You are a shinobi of Konoha," said Hiruzen firmly, startling me in mid-sentence. "As much as I like to say every shinobi is loyal to their birth village that would be a lie. Loyalty to the village sounds grandeur, but people as individuals, we're not loyal to any single village."

"…Are you sure?" I asked skeptically. "Isn't it the kage's job to be utterly loyal to the village? Doesn't saying that makes you mutinous? Huh… can the council charge you with crime of being a traitor in that case? Wait... but how would that even work? Is there such a thing as impeachment here?"

Hiruzen let out a hearty laugh. "You really are something, Kasa-kun. How do you keep up such spirits despite what happened?"

"How?" I pondered over the question, but promptly gave up as my brain went up in smoke. "…Meh, I'm tired. It's too exhausting to think of a reason and even more exhausting to stay angry. Besides, staying angry all the time only stresses the body. I've already killed enough brain cells from my last stunt. I'd like to save what little I have left. Tsunade-sama did warn me if I keep letting this chakra get to me, I'll turn into a mindless brute… not that I'll be much of a threat… isn't that sad?" I sighed.

"Tsunade?" said Hiruzen in surprise. "You met her during your travels?"

"She trained me to control the demonic chakra that kept slipping through and…and…" A dark cloud hovered over my head as a sudden chill went through me. "If she knew I let it slip, she's going to kill me! Oh god! Hokage-sama, please don't tell her! She'll kill me and make me go through bomb diffusing lessons again! I'll take any punishment! Just don't tell her!" I wailed.

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at my words. "Why do you keep suggesting I punish you?"

I paused in mid-panic and stared at him in confusion. "You aren't? But I completely when bat shit crazy and released demonic chakra. I freaking got exiled last time! And you're telling me there's no punishment?"

"There is," said Hiruzen.

"Now you're just being a troll!" I complained.

Hiruzen laughed. "But not for what you think you're being punished for."

"…You lost me." I said in a deadpan.

"Do you know why you were given an evaluation in the first place?" asked Hiruzen.

"… Isn't it to test whether or not I can handle Naruto when…uh…" I trailed off. What's the nice way saying I'm his keeper? "When his furry problem acts up?"

"You thought…" Hiruzen shook his head. "We still have quiet some time before that becomes an issue."

"But… isn't the chakra in Naruto way more dangerous than what I have?" I questioned in confusion.

"When Minato made Naruto's seal, it was done so that the chakra will slowly incorporate itself into Naruto's body over time. Unlike you, who had completely depleted your natural chakra at the time, Jiraiya placed only one Four-Symbol seal and a Yin seal in order to allow more chakra flow through to replace and replenish what you've lost. Your seals are considerably more unstable compared to Naruto's and much harder to adjust," explained Hiruzen.

"…Then… what the heck was this evaluation for?" I huffed.

"To see how much you've progressed of course," said Hiruzen cheerily. "You are among the youngest to graduate in your batch, even if you're dead last."

I made a face at the title.

Hiruzen chuckled. "You did surprise me with your performance. I hadn't expected you to do so well and fight with such ferocity. Even Tenzo was a little surprised by your final attack."

"Only a little?" I grumbled. "I should've guessed it wasn't enough. With the amount of nature release jutsus he pulled off, he's at least chunin ranked right? I think you should promote him."

"Already have," said Hiruzen.

"…Wait what?" I said in confusion.

"The evaluation was for him as well as you," said Hiruzen pleasantly. "As of your hospitalization, Tenzo was promoted from special jounin to regular jounin."

What?

"Part of a jounin exam, aside from mastering at least two nature releases, is to be able to handle rowdy genins like you. I must admit, I don't think anyone could've predicted that you would try to blow us all up with a faulty seal," laughed Hiruzen.

I would sweat drop. How could he even laugh at that?

"If Tenzo hadn't adjusted his jutsu to shield you along with the rest of us, you would've been in a much worst state, if not dead. His wooden foo dogs took the brunt of the explosion shielding you from the majority of the blast, while that barrier seal you used lessened the intensity of the flames. I'm quite sure if you didn't have either, you would've been incinerated into nothing," said Hiruzen.

…I came that close again? Does death hate me or something? How is it possible that I'm that bad at dying?

"Ugh… I'm never going to blow myself up again." I grumbled. Apparently, I can survive incinerating explosions. Who knew? I really don't want to see what else I can live through, the hospital trips are going to give me nightmares for years to come.

"That's good to know," said Hiruzen, highly amused. "Though, I must finish what I came here for."

"Right, there's still my punishment. Lay it on me." I said, not caring for ceremony or manners. I'm in pain. I can care less even if Hizashi crashes through that door threatening me with more kunoichi lessons. As long as it's not Tsunade, I'm not afraid of anyone.

"You're suspended from shinobi duties for six months," said the man.

"Suspension?" I said in disbelief.

"No need to make such a face," said Hiruzen. "The suspension is for your recklessness against yourself. While you're not leaving the hospital bed anytime soon, once you've recovered from your injuries, your new assignment is to the hospital as a nurse's aid."

"Nurse's aid?" I blanched at the thought. I won't even be able to use any iryo-ninjutsu as a nurse's aid. "For six months?"

"It's a suitable punishment. If you value your life so little, you might as well give it to people who value it more than you. Once you've recovered, you'll be assisting in the intensive care ward alongside the geriatrics ward," said Hiruzen. "Any objections?"

I sighed, what could I object to? It's not T&I, it's not execution or exile. Working as a nurse's aid was equivalent to being sentenced with community service. Hiruzen is such a softhearted old fool. Maybe that's why he couldn't end Orochimaru when he had a chance. I guess I shouldn't be complaining. After all the craziness, maybe some community service downtime will do me some good.

"None sir." I replied. "I'll serve Konoha with my best."

Hiruzen nodded with a bright smile. "Kasa-kun, what I said about how no one is loyal to any single village isn't as mutinous as you think."

"Hmm?" I glanced at him curiously as he got up from his seat and walked to the door.

"People are loyal to those they love and care for. Any loyalty to a village is built on by the loyalty they have for those they hold dear." He smiled warmly at me. "I could see that you have many people here you would say that's close to your heart and I'm proud to call you a Konoha shinobi."

"…Hokage-sama…" I whispered, nearly speechless by his touching words.

"You've done well in your performance," said Hiruzen as he reached the door. "I look forward to seeing you in the chunin exams in six months."

…Wait, what?

The man grinned. "What do you think the evaluation was for?"

What?

"I wish you the best of luck, Kasa-kun," chuckled Hiruzen as he stepped out of the room.

"WHAT?" I screamed.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter was a pain, but a ton of fun to write! Originally, it should've been done last week, but Kasa kept coming out too emo, so I scrapped the chapter twice and rewrote it. The battle against Tenzo was hell, but I'm absolutely stoked at how it came out. I'm not sure if it's was due to ffnet going through repairs, but I didn't hear from a lot of you. I hope you guys are still enjoying this as much as I am because I can't wait to get to the chunin exams! See you guys there!


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Visitors

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Visitors**

"…How on earth did you get third degree chakra burns from a training accident?" said Santa in disbelief.

"…Enthusiasm?" I offered sheepishly.

"Better question," quipped Tokuma. "How did you get Kurei sensei to go with it? He's not one to let you recklessly maim yourself."

"Uh… By asking nicely?" I mumbled.

"You're horrible at lying," said Santa in a deadpan. "I still can't believe you got yourself suspended for half a year. What did you do? Burn down a forest?"

"Pretty much." I said with a nervous chuckle.

"…Serious?" said Santa skeptically. "What made you go and do that?"

"…Menstrual cramps?" I suggested with a grin, expecting them to get flustered, but I was met with deadpan eyes instead. Weird, that trick usually works on guys.

"Are you even menstruating yet?" drawled Santa.

"Oh right…" I said in realization. "I don't have that yet."

"Why are you my teammate?" Santa planted a hand to his face.

"I'm surprised they haven't demoted you back to the academy," continued Tokuma. "A six-month suspension is lenient."

"Don't remind me." I groaned. "Even after I recover, I'm stuck in the hospital."

"Speaking of which, how much longer are you going to be bed bound?" asked Santa.

"Hmm…" I pondered, staring at my bandaged hands. "Shouldn't be all that much longer considering I'm awake to help Tou-san and Rin-san with the healing sessions. Maybe another week or two at most?"

"Will you be coming to the team training sessions? Or are you banned from that too?" asked Santa.

"Not sure." I frowned. "I'll have to clarify that when I don't look like a walking corpse."

"Hn," snorted Tokuma in amusement. "I think that look works for you. Though, I don't think Hizashi-sama will say the same if he saw you."

"Eh?" I glanced at him in confusion.

"Especially with your hair looking like that," added Santa with a sniggered.

"…My hair?" I blinked. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"You've been here for two weeks and you haven't even looked at the mirror once?" questioned Tokuma.

"Seeing I was comatose for a week and bed bound for another. I don't think finding a mirror was high on my priority list." I said drolly.

"Here, let me get you one," said Santa cheerily as he bounded to the bathroom.

"I don't think the mirrors in the bathroom are—" I paused when I heard a loud crack and Santa came bounding back with a mirror and a good chunk of the wall with it. "Did you rip that out of the wall!"

"Never mind that, take a look!" He grinned before turning to our stoic teammate. "Hey Tokuma, how much do you want to bet that she'll lose it?"

"I'm not making a losing bet," drawled Tokuma.

"It's not that bad is it?" I said as I took the offered mirror into my hands, but screamed like a banshee when I saw my reflection.

First off before I tell you what I look like, I was quite aware that I'm not going to look my best considering I had burns in places I rather not mention. Hell, I was fully prepared to see Freddy Krueger looking back at me, but I didn't. Iryo-ninjutsu was amazing that it could heal severe burns to the point that it looked no worse than a bad rash. However, it's not my injuries that made me scream. It was my hair… or there lack of.

"AH!" I screeched, dropping the mirror and running my hands over my head.

"It's not that bad," sniggered Santa. "I think it's a nice look for you."

"How is it not bad? I look like a bald Zuko!" I screamed, but paused when I realized what I said. "Wait, I look like a bald Zuko! I could totally cosplay him!"

"Who's Zuko?" asked Santa, puzzled.

"Wait, what am I saying? I can't cosplay as Zuko! Hizashi sensei's going to kill me when he sees me!" I wailed.

"You could go join the ninja monks at the temple," drawled Tokuma in amusement. "You've already got the bald head."

"It's not funny!" I snapped, but Santa was already on the ground dying with laughter and Tokuma was discreetly hiding his chuckles behind a well-disguised cough.

Just to clarify, I'm not a vain person by nature. On most days I could roll out of bed without tending to my hair or looks and I won't even care, but baldness is where I cross the line! I'm already having trouble acting like a kunoichi! How the hell am I going to pull off being a girl without hair?

"Oh calm down, it's not like it's not going to grow back," said Tokuma was a casual wave of his hand. "It doesn't look like you have any scars on your head so unless you've managed somehow to destroy all your hair follicles, it'll grow back in a couple of months or a year."

"Good thing you're stuck in the hospital for the next six months huh?" added Santa as he wiped away a stray laughing tear.

"Come back hair!" I gave a pathetic whimper as I rubbed my head trying to will it to grow faster.

"How you managed not to notice your hairless state, I would never understand," said Tokuma as he got up from his seat and made his way around my bed. "Do try to get better quickly, it's a bore only having Santa as a punching bag."

"This coming from Mr. I-get-kidnapped-a-lot," retorted Santa.

"We can't all be a coward like you and fight from the shadows," droned Tokuma with his arms crossed.

"Is that a challenge I hear?" said Santa with a smirk.

"Please, you won't last ten minutes without Kasa being your distraction," said Tokuma with a casual wave of his hand.

"I don't need Kasa's distraction skills, I could handle myself!" snapped back Santa.

"I am so not the distraction!" I retorted heatedly.

"Yet, you always make yourself the walking target," drawled Tokuma.

"You want a fight? Bring it on pretty boy!" I shouted as I jumped out of bed and pounced him.

"Are you dense? You're not even supposed to get out of bed yet!" snapped Tokuma.

"What, afraid you're going to get beaten by a girl?" sniggered Santa.

"I take offense to that!" I shouted as Tokuma hauled me back to bed.

"You want to take it outside girly?" grinned Santa.

"Grow up both of you," said Tokuma as he rolled his eyes.

"Shut up!" We retorted.

I'm not sure when it happened, but somehow their thoughtful little visit turned into a full out Team Four bicker-fest and eventually both Tokuma and Santa were kicked out of the hospital for causing such a ruckus. Even though we may get on each other's nerves from time to time, it's actually a ton of fun whenever we get into fights.

…Especially when there were no other visitors.

Without them, the room became unnervingly quiet. Aside from Tesuri and the visit from my teammates from Team Four just now, I haven't gotten any visitors since Hiruzen stopped by. Rin had stopped coming shortly after I was stabilized and I haven't seen or heard from Kushina or anyone else…I know I've said that I could handle a little solitude, but this silence…. It's almost enough to make me miss getting an earful from everyone for being reckless.

I get that everyone is busy and all, but they could have at least stopped by for a five-second hi, but…Who am I kidding? I'm acting like a spoiled little brat looking for attention because everyone is busy with their own lives.

After spending so many years pretending to be a child, I think I'm actually regressing into one. Temper tantrums, thoughtless outbursts and reckless irrationality, my old self would've died of embarrassment. With less than half the maturity of my teenage self and ten times the obnoxiousness of a psychotic otaku, I don't think I've ever been this loud in my old life.

Huh…My old life.

"That's weird." I mused to myself, if only to break the silence. "Why am I suddenly thinking about that?"

Eight years I've been here and I think this is probably the first time in a long time that my thoughts wandered away from the here and now. Now that I think about it, this was the first time I've gone this long without having some sort of companionship. Hardly surprising, considering I've lost count how many times I've been either hospitalize or severely injured… Uh… that's probably not a good thing right? Good lord, I should probably be more careful.

Knock, knock.

I perked up at the sound with a bright grin before bounding out of my bed to open the door. "Sweet merciful sound! I thought I was going to go nuts with how quiet it's been. What took…" I paused when I notice who my visitor was. "Oh… Hi…"

"Not who you expected?" said Tenzo softly with an apologetic grin.

I pushed the disappointment from my face and grinned. "…No, not exactly, but you're just as good if not better! Come in!" I grabbed hold of his hand and dragged him into the room. "I'm about to go crazy with how quiet it's here!"

"Enough to have another episode like last time?" asked Tenzo jokingly.

"Episode?" I said in puzzlement for a second before it clicked and I gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh, you mean the whole trying to kill you thing. Uh… um… Sorry?"

Tenzo returned the chuckle as he took one of the seats by the bed. "Do you always apologize to the people you try to kill?"

"I wasn't trying to kill you." I huffed before pausing "Wait no, I was… but…"

He grinned wryly as I fumbled over my words.

"I did try to kill you, but I wouldn't have if you…Wait no, if you didn't step in then… but that doesn't excuse… wait no it does…Argh!" I growled in frustration and tried to ruffle up my hair out of habit, only to remember that I don't have any hair.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," said Tenzo as he hid a small grin behind a loosely curled fist. "You're definitely livelier compared to when I last saw you."

"Laugh it up. I'm just having an off day." I grumbled, plopping down on my bed, facing him.

"Everyone has an off day," agreed Tenzo as his eyes trailed over my arms. "How are your burns?"

Startled by his sudden concern, I glanced at my red skin. "As good as someone who suffered from third-degree burns. It's much better now compared to a couple of days ago…" I paused, unsure what to say next. Why was he here anyway? It's kind of weird for him to just randomly visit someone he met only once. "Um…Thanks for asking…?"

"You're probably wondering why I'm here, right?" added Tenzo helpfully when I found myself unable to ask.

"A bit, unless you usually make it a habit to visit people who tried to kill you." I joked light-heartedly. He didn't smile. "Um… I was joking?"

"I know," said Tenzo softly. "Do you know you have a bad habit?"

"Pardon?" Confusion crossed my face, clueless to what he was saying. "What habit?"

"You hide behind lies," answered Tenzo. "And you're quite good at it."

"Me? Good at hiding behind lies?" I repeated before a chuckle slipped out. "Oh man, that's funny. Me a good liar? You're a riot! I could give you a list of people that would say otherwise."

"You're always joking and smiling, but did you know your smiles never reach your eyes?" noted Tenzo.

My grin faltered as the chuckle died at my lips. "What do you mean?"

"When I first met you, I almost mistaken you for someone from one of the major clans," explained Tenzo. "The way you carried yourself and the way you spoke, you imitated the mannerisms of someone born from a major clan quite flawlessly.

"…Are you sure we're talking about the same person?" I frowned. "I nearly failed my genin exams because of the kunoichi portion. Acting and lying are not my strong points."

"The fact you believe your own lies is another sign that you're good at it," inserted Tenzo. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but those who announces their weaknesses usually falls into two categories. One, they're an idiot."

"Hey!" I huffed with my cheeks puffed up.

"Or two, they're using it to hide their true weakness," said Tenzo as he looked straight into my eyes. I paused at the intense gaze. "During your little episode, you claimed you were bad in everything. Yet, when I fought against you, I saw otherwise."

"What?" I said, suddenly finding it hard to get to my voice.

"True, your skillset isn't that much better than most genin, but unlike them, you're fully aware of what you can do and what you can't do," said Tenzo. "I don't know if you know this or if you're hiding it from yourself through lies, but it's this awareness that makes you stronger than what you claim."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"You're bad at direct combat, so you compensate with using support ninjutsu to distance yourself and bade time as you hide and make plans. Knowing you're bad at taijutsu, you compensated with a defensive style that lures your opponent into a false sense of security, not knowing you've laid a trap for them the moment they drew closer," said Tenzo.

"You're making me sound like I have a mind to plan everything accordingly." I forced the words out of my mouth as I grasped onto my failing voice and forced it kicking and screaming to the surface. "I didn't even know if any of that could've worked. Stop making it sound like it was all within my plans."

"Which is exactly why I believe you're not giving yourself more credit than you should," continued Tenzo. "Not knowing whether or not those plans would work, you were always looking for a means to retreat and hide in case it didn't work. Not all shinobi are meant to be front line fighters. You knew you weren't one and you adjusted accordingly."

"…Thanks for the praise and all, but what's your point? How does this relate to me being a good liar?" I grumbled. "Better yet, what does it have to do with you visiting me? You didn't really come here to call me a liar in one moment and praise me the next did you?"

"I came because I saw that you were scared," answered Tenzo.

"…Scared?" I glanced at him warily. "What's there to be scared about? I'm not being executed, I'm not being exiled. Heck, I'm not even getting punished all that severely, what's there to be scared about?"

"You're being defensive," pointed out Tenzo.

"I'm not being defensive!" I snapped. Despite my claims, my voice was shaking.

"You're not scared of punishment or death even," said Tenzo as he changed the line of thought. "If you were, you wouldn't have snapped and tried to blow yourself up with the rest of us. No, what you're afraid of is rejection."

I opened my mouth to retort, but I couldn't find the words or my voice. Why was this bothering me so much? I'm not a child or a love-struck teenager, why would I be afraid of rejection?

…If that's the case, how come I couldn't say it?

"You hide behind that loud personality of yours because if ever you say something wrong, you had an excuse and no one would spare a second thought about it," said Tenzo as he pressed on. "Aren't you exhausted? Always smiling, always making excuses, always lying?"

I stared at him, lips pressed into a thin line as words refused to come to the surface. First Tesuri and now him? Why was it always the person I least expect that ousts me?

"Am I not allowed to?" I forced out. "I'm not hurting anyone. I'm not harming Konoha."  
"No, you wouldn't allow yourself to," said Tenzo.

"Then why is this an issue? Just let me go about my merry way and everything will go about that same." I grumbled.

"Until you snap again and have another episode," interrupted Tenzo.

"I'm not going to—"

"Are you sure?" said Tenzo. "Everyone has a breaking point and while you've done an excellent job hiding behind your own lies and almost believing in it yourself, you're just human. How long do you think you'll go before you have another episode? I know you can care less about your own life, but what about the people around you? You care about them don't you? What happens if they're around when you blow up again? What happens if they get hurt? Or worse?"

"I…" I trailed off unable to answer.

"I'm not telling you to stop doing what you're doing. I don't know what caused you to be so terrified of showing who you are behind that idiotic guise you put up, but you'll doing yourself a disfavor if you keep bottling everything up the way you do," reasoned Tenzo.

"…Why do you care?" I asked after a moment. "If you're worried that I might snap, you could've just told Hokage-sama and let him deal with me. Why do you care enough to come talk to me about this?"

"Because you're like me, an outsider." I jolted at the sad smile as he continued. "We're said to be Konoha's shinobi, but the fact is, we're always going to be under suspicion and our loyalties will always come to question. There doesn't need to be a physical wound for it to hurt."

We sat in silence as everything he let his words sink in. This whole time, while I was getting defensive thinking maybe it was a trap of some sort, all Tenzo wanted to do was tell me I wasn't alone. He was just trying to be nice and maybe make a friend. I on the other hand treated him like an enemy, like he was a monster that was about to attack me.

"Sorry." I said apologetically with a sheepish laugh. "I must look like a complete ass with how I acted. Can we start over?"

"If it makes you feel better," said Tenzo wryly.

Returning the grin I started with an AA styled greeting with a two-finger salute. "Nice to meet you, I'm Kasa. Pseudo-jinchuriki and loaded with a mountain's height of rejection issues."

Tenzo chuckled as he returned with a similar greeting. "I'm Tenzo, former lab experiment and fellow outsider. Nice to meet you."

We shared a look for no more than a second before we both cracked up laughing at the hilarity of the situation. Talking with Tenzo was a pleasant change. Unlike everyone else, he didn't treat me like a child or an idiot. When we talked, he spoke to me rather than at me.

Talking to him felt like talking with an equal. How long has it been since I've had a conversation that didn't start or end with a condescension from the other party? How long has it been since someone treated me as an equal?

"I'm surprised that Danzo showed such interest in your progress," said Tenzo at some point during our conversation. "He did try to recruit me at first, but he didn't press on once Hokage-sama decided on how I was being dealt with. With how murderous you sounded that day, I'm guessing this wasn't the first time he tried suggest to Hokage-sama on what to do with you?"

"You noticed too huh?" I sighed as I plopped back down on my bed. "No clue why Mr. Mummy is out to get me. I must've killed in mother in my last, last life or something."

Tenzo raised a brow. "Why two lasts? What's wrong with the first last?"

"Aside from refusing to haggle, have you ever heard of a bookseller or a librarian getting into a scuffle that would lead to a death feud?" I asked with mild amusement crossing my face.

"Now, you're just showing off," chuckled Tenzo. "I can't tell whether you're lying or telling the truth."

"Think whatever you want." I replied cheerily. "If you can't tell the difference, I'm not going to pop my own bubble."

Too long, I decided. It was too long since I spoke comfortably with anyone without snapping in a childish rage.

"I should really get going," said Tenzo as he glanced at the sky outside the window. "I have some senpai in the intensive care ward to visit while I'm here."

"Intensive care?" I glanced at him curiously. "Anyone I know?"

"Maybe…" said Tenzo thoughtfully. "Do you know any Hatake or Uchiha?"

"What?" I sat up in a hurry. "Kakashi and Obito are in the intensive care?"

"Oh, so you do know them," said Tenzo.

"Forget that! Why the hell are they there? What happened?" I jumped out of bed and grabbed him by the arm. "Which room are they in? Are they okay?"

Tenzo planted a hand on my shoulder to calm me down. "They're fine. They've been fine the last two days."

"Last two—? How long were they here?" I asked in a hurry.

"Maybe a week?" said Tenzo.

"A week?" That's too much of a coincidence. "You're going to see them right? Can you take me too?"

"…You're not supposed to be leaving your bed, much less your room," droned Tenzo.

"Can't you just turn a blind eye?" I grumbled. "I thought we were friends."

"Just because we're friends, I'm not going to let you recklessly run off while you still have injuries," sighed Tenzo. "I'm quite sure they'll still be there when you've recovered. After all, they're both suffering from a severe case of chakra exhaustion. It'll take them at least two weeks to recover."

"Can you at least tell me why they're in such a condition?" I sighed.

Surprise crossed Tenzo's face. "You haven't heard—right, you weren't conscious then," muttered Tenzo in hindsight.

"Haven't heard what?" I frowned. "What did I miss while I was out?"

"We're on the verge of war with Kirigakure," replied Tenzo. "For the last two months, we've been trying to settle with some quiet negotiations, but about two weeks ago, things went sour. Kakashi and Obito senpai were in charge of escorting the negotiations team."

"So that's why…" I murmured. No wonder I haven't been getting any visitors, everyone's busy fortifying the village defenses in case of an attack. "Wait, how come you're telling me this? Isn't this classified information?"

"Hardly," waved off Tenzo. "Hokage-sama will be giving a formal announcement at the end of the week. Everyone's going to know one way or another."

"I see." I mumbled thoughtfully as I released his arm and took a step back to mull over my thoughts. "If that's the case, do you know what the reason for this conflict is? Or is that classified?"

"I'm not clear on the whole situation, since it's not likely for either village to go to war on a single reason alone, but I do know why Kakashi and Obito senpai came back the way they did."

"Why?" My brows furrowed with a frown. Come to think of it, neither of them were pushovers. So what would cause them to come back in such a state?

"Apparently, one of the demands Kiri made was for the return of the Three-Tails to a jinchuriki of their choosing," explained Tenzo.

My eyes widened. "But if that's the case, Rin-san would…"

Tenzo nodded grimly. "As you already realized, Kakashi and Obito senpai didn't take to the idea very well."

"…What did they do?" I asked, almost terrified to hear the answer.

"They decimated several platoons of Kiri-nin while they were there. I'm not sure if they killed anyone, but there were a large number severely injured. From what I heard, I think it was Obito senpai that started that mess," answered Tenzo.

A grimace crossed my face. "…Why am I not surprised?"

"The negotiations team had to forcibly drag them both back to the village before Kiri decided to declare war on the spot. I'm not sure if that helped any, but the damage's already done," said Tenzo.

"Things aren't looking good, huh?" I said, rubbing my baldhead absently. It's still so weird not to have any hair.

"Regardless what happens, it's none of your business until you've recovered at least," said Tenzo. "You're assigned to hospital for six months aren't you?"

"Right…" I paused. "How do you know I'm under suspension?"

"Suspension?" said Tenzo in confusion. "Why do you think you're under suspension?"

"That's what Hokage-sama told me, what did you hear?" I asked, puzzled.

"With the impending war, any shinobi with a notable amount of medical experience are to be reassigned to the hospital or into field platoons as a medic until the conflict is over. Haven't you read the protocols for iryo-nin since you're aiming to be one?"  
"Protocols…? I'm not being punished at all?" I said flabbergasted.

"Do you _want _to be punished?" said Tenzo with a raised brow.

"No, but…" I trailed off, confusion clear on my face. "Why would Hokage-sama tell me this was my punishment?"

"Likely because you kept asking him about getting one. By any chance, do you have a masochist streak along with that reckless abandonment for your life?" asked Tenzo offhandedly, amusement clear in his eyes.

"Oh, ha-ha." I huffed indignantly.

"Hokage-sama is a kind man," offered Tenzo. "If he could, he would do his best to compromise when he can. No doubt, he was just trying to make you feel better."

"I guess." I murmured quietly. Duped again. That old man is more unpredictable than I thought.

"Well, I've stalled for long enough. I need still have things to do after visiting both senpai. Take it easy on yourself and maybe I'll stop by to visit again," said Tenzo.

I grinned brightly. "I'll hold you on your word."

Tenzo chuckled as he made his way towards the door, but paused as if he remember something. "Oh! Before I forget. Congratulations."

Confusion crossed my face. "For what?"

"I'm not clear on the details, but from the sound of it, you're getting an engagement," said Tenzo.

My face paled. "What sort of engagement? Dinner engagement?" I said hopefully.

"Marital engagement," said Tenzo.

I stood there dumbfounded before I did the only thing I've never done in my life, this one or the last, I fainted.

Someone is definitely trolling me somewhere out there.

* * *

Author's Note: I am definitely a troll. I know I'm stepping into some major clichés here, but I promise you, it's all for shits and giggles. I'm not about to write romance for a bunch of eight-year-olds that's a whole lot of wrong on a whole other level. Everything will be explained in due time. I was hoping to touch on Kasa's personal issues a bit, since I haven't, at least not a lot throughout the story. Maybe this will explain some of her eccentricities. Well, as always you guys are awesome and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	29. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Engaging Changes

**Iryo-nin Kasa (****医療忍****傘****)**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Engaging Changes**

Fainting, never would I have ever thought I'd pass out like a damsel in distress. Damn Tenzo, he called me a liar, but how much do you want to bet he's just as much of a liar as I am. All this talk about me getting engaged, it was likely just passing gossip he heard somewhere and blew it out of proportion. I bet there's probably nothing out there to confirm it.

I swear if this life turns into some crappy ass shoujo story, I will find some way to kill off all possible love interests. I don't care if I'm completely outmatched. I seriously don't need romance to complicate my miserable life right now. This must be a bad joke.

Tesuri took the news harder than I did as Tenzo was nearly strangled to death when I came to.

"Who told you this?" roared Tesuri dangerously as he shook Tenzo like a rag doll. "I'll kill them in their sleep!"

"I-I don't know," said Tenzo in between violent shakes. "I just heard it in passing!"

"It's one of those Uchiha boys isn't it? Isn't it?" growled Tesuri. "They think just because Kasa has an engagement, it's to one of them! Well, tell them I would never give up Kasa to those brats!"

"P-please stop!" said Tenzo desperately.

…Tesuri's possessive daddy mode is scary. I almost felt bad for Tenzo, almost.

"Sucks to be the messenger." I muttered under my breath as I sat up to watch Tesuri tie him up with chakra rope. "They're always the first to get shot."

"Kasa, I thought we were friends," said Tenzo desperately, mirroring a conversation we had probably no more than ten minutes ago.

"I don't know." I drawled mockingly repeating out previous conversation while propping an arm up to rest my chin on the palm of my hand. "Just because we're friends..."

"Don't you even dare look to Kasa for help, punk," said Tesuri dangerously as he materialized chakra scalpels. "You have two options and I don't think I need to tell you what they are."

Tenzo's face paled as a meek squeak escaped him. "Kasa!"

The pure terror on his face made it hard not to smile. Okay, okay, my inner petty demon is satisfied.

"Tou-san, enough already. I think he's going to pee himself." I said cheerily.

"Not until he tells me where he heard this information," said Tesuri dangerously.

I rolled my eyes. Good lord, Tesuri, your closet sadist is showing.

"While you're busy with that, can I go visit Kakashi and Obito? I heard they're in in intensive care." I suggested before he abruptly snapped out of sadist mode and into lecture mode.

"Absolutely not. If you fainted that easily from a minor shock, you're in no condition to leave your room. Your body is still trying to adjust since your chakra is working overtime to get you back to full health," chided Tesuri.

"But I'm not even leaving the hospital, you can escort me. I'll even sit in a wheelchair if you don't want me walking around." I said, drawing out the conversation as Tenzo quietly undid the knots on the rope and slipped away. He gave me a thankful look he stealthily made his way to the door.

"No," said Tesuri bluntly with fatherly sternness before switching his tone back to psychotic sadist. "And if I hear spreading that particular piece of news, I'll find out where you live and finish what I started."

"Yes sir!" squeaked Tenzo before he ran out of the room.

"Come and visit me again!" I called out after him.

"Kasa," said Tesuri sternly.

"All right." I sighed, crossing my arms. "Who am I engaged to? And why am I engaged at all if you're going to freak out at the thought of anyone taking me away?"

The sternness on his face stayed for a moment before he sighed in exasperation. "Why does the Uzumaki Clan have such unreasonable women?"

"Huh?" I said dumbfounded. Completely lost at his sudden helpless expression. "You mean this is Kushina-san's doing?"

Tesuri sighed as he pressed his fingers against his brow. "Be glad you were unconscious for the most of it."

My interest peaked. "What happened while I was out? Better yet, what did Kushina-san do?" I asked gleefully.

"… Why do you have to take after your mother?" sighed Tesuri.

"Oh come on, Tou-san, tell me!" I clung onto his arm like a little kid. "I promise I'll stay in my room like a good girl if you do!"

"…Are you blackmailing me?" asked Tesuri.

"Blackmailing implies I'm extorting you." I reasoned cheerily. "I'm just bribing you."

"…With you, there's no difference," said Tesuri dryly.

"Exactly." I said cheerily. "So let's skip to the juicy details! Come on, what did Kushina-san do?"

Tesuri tried to resist, but after a moment he gave in. "It started when she found out what happened to you during your evaluation…"

* * *

"HOKAGE-SAMA!" roared Kushina as she kicked down the door to the administration's office.

"Kushina, please calm down," said Hiruzen calmly as the woman stormed in with her fiery red hair flaring wildly like the Kyubi's tails.

"Don't you _please calm down_ me! What kind of evaluation did you put Kasa-chan through?" snapped Kushina.

"The evaluation was meant to be a simple formality to check on her progress. No one meant for it to turn out the way it did," reasoned Hiruzen as he puffed his pipe absently.

"Some formality this is," growled Kushina as she stepped deeper into the office.

"Kushina, calm down," said Mikoto in exasperation as she pulled her friend back. "I know you're upset over what happened to Kasa-chan, but you blowing up Hokage-sama's office isn't going to help her any."

* * *

"Wait, Mikoto-san was there too?" I interrupted, but Tesuri was quick to cut me off.

"Let me finish before you interrupt would you? I barely even started!" said Tesuri in a deadpan.

"… Sorry." I muttered sheepishly but then paused when I realized something. "Hey, if Mikoto-san was there does it mean—"

"I can stop here and now," threatened Tesuri.

"Sorry, sorry. Please continue." I muttered under my breath.

* * *

"Fine," huffed Kushina as she plopped down on the seat in front of Hiruzen's desk. "I'll be _civil_."

Mikoto gave a sheepish chuckle before she turned to Hiruzen. "Hokage-sama, what Kushina wanted to ask was why Kasa-chan was placed through such unorthodox tests. Even if she is younger than most graduates, she's not the first to graduate at her age."

"And?" Hiruzen closed his eyes as he took in a breath of smoke.

"And she's not the only one in her class that was promoted to genin at her age. I don't understand why she's the only one that's given such a difficult time," added Kushina. "And before you make excuses about testing her skills, you and I both know where she stands. There was no need to test her in the first place. Not only that, she was hospitalized because of the amount of exertion she went through. Who the hell did you put her up against Anbu?"

A sad expression crossed Hiruzen's face as he breathed out through his nose, letting out smoke as he did so. "It is unfortunate that Kasa is in the hospital. None of us expected her to have such emotional baggage that would drive her to such extreme actions."

"She wouldn't have those issues if you stop letting Danzo and that council of yours treat her like a spy!" said Kushina darkly.

"Kushina," whispered Mikoto harshly.

The fiery woman glanced at her for a moment before reluctantly backed down. "…Fine, we'll do it your way," grumbled the woman as she crossed her arms.

"Hokage-sama," started Mikoto. "The only reason this injustice to Kasa-chan lasted for as long as has is because she has no political backing to protect her."

Hiruzen said nothing as he lowered his hat.

"I'm right aren't I?" said Mikoto. "Even though Kushina is a legitimate Konoha shinobi and gives her support, she has no political sway because like Kasa, she's not originally from Konoha."

"Unfortunately," murmured Hiruzen in agreement as he shifted his pipe.

"…So, they're treating me as a traitor now?" said Kushina in a low voice, unamused.

"Before you go off on another one of your legendary tirades," inserted Hiruzen. "Please understand that I whole-heartedly trust you and believe that Kasa only has Konoha's best interest in mind. However, I alone do not have the authority to override a majority ruling."

"Why not?" huffed Kushina. "You're the leader of the village!"

"Be as it may," started Hiruzen. "Under the laws set down by the First Hokage, when matters concern the safety and well-being of the village, the council among others can override any ruling I may make, given they have adequate reason."

"…And given Kasa-chan isn't a native to Konoha and carries demonic chakra from the Sanbi…" Mikoto trailed off.

"I see you understand my plight," said Hiruzen wearily with his hands folded in front of his face. "If I try to override the council, it would seem as favoritism and in the long run, it might be more detrimental to Kasa."

"Are you telling me there's nothing we can do to stop this?" asked Kushina, irritated.

"My hands are tied," said Hiruzen regretfully.

"Damn it," hissed Kushina. "So all we can do is watch?"

"I wouldn't say that," interrupted Mikoto as a cheery grin touched her lips.

Hiruzen's attention was peaked. "What are you suggesting?"

"Hokage-sama, I'm curious, are you familiar with a particular law concerning marital engagements with major clans?" said Mikoto offhandedly.

"…In this day and age?" said Hiruzen with a raised brow. "Are you sure? Youngsters nowadays are quite vocal when it comes to such things and if you add Kasa to the mix…"

"I'm quite familiar with Kasa-chan's personality," chuckled Mikoto. "And it's likely she won't take to the news very well. However, if she has an engagement with a major clan, she'll then fall under their political protection. Wouldn't you agree this would be more beneficial to her?"

"…Have you spoken to her father about this?" asked Hiruzen warily.

"He's a hundred percent behind this," said Kushina cheerily.

* * *

"What did Kushina-san do to make you agree?" I can't help but interrupt.

"…Don't ask Kasa, please just don't ask…" said Tesuri pathetically.

Were Uzumaki women really that terrifying? Judging by the look on Tesuri's miserable face, I don't think I want to find out. That's probably one mystery I'll leave alone.

"So… this engagement thing…" I continued hesitantly. "It sounds like a farce Mikoto-san came up to protect me. I don't actually have to marry anyone, do I?"

Tesuri sobered up. "If they try to force you, I'll kill them."

"Uh… I'm guessing not?" I laughed weakly, relieved by the news.

"Even if this is a farce, you must adhere to the engagement laws just so they won't give you any grief," pointed out Tesuri. "Which means... if you're ever going to get a boyfriend, please at least give me a heads up so I can prepare myself okay?" said the man desperately as he placed his hands on my shoulders.

"…Pft…" I covered my mouth trying to hold back my laugh. "Tou-san, I'm not planning on getting one for a long time."

"Good," said Tesuri with relief as he held me close in a hug. "You can't believe how hard it was for me to agree to Uzumaki-san and Uchiha-san's plans to engage you to one of those Uchiha brats!"

I rolled my eyes. "Speaking of which. Which one am I technically engaged to?"

His hug tightened. "Why? Which one do you like?"

"Tou-san." I said in exasperation. "I thought we've been through this already. There's no one I'm interested in. So stop worrying."

"…You sure now?" grumbled Tesuri under his breath.

"Completely." I replied dryly.

Tesuri sighed as he loosened his grip, but kept me close "You're technically not engaged to anyone."

"Huh?" I glanced up at him in surprise. "Then how am I engaged?"

"You have an engagement to the Uchiha Clan," corrected Tesuri. "Until you're of age, you're not bound to anyone, but at the same time you're not allowed to bind yourself to someone outside of the Uchiha Clan."

"… How needlessly convoluted." I sighed before giving a careless shrug. "Do whatever you want as long as I don't suddenly end up with a hundred fiancées or something."

"Sorry Kasa. This was all I could do," whispered Tesuri.

"I know Tou-san… I know." I said, resting my head on his chest. Not liking how depressing the mood was, a wicked idea crossed my mind. "So… does that mean you won't try to kill my boyfriend if I ever bring him home?

Tesuri tensed. "I thought you said you there was no one!"

"Of course there wouldn't be one, if you're going to kill him." I retorted.

"Who is it Kasa?" snapped Tesuri, completely breaking out of his misery and into protective daddy mode.

"Not telling you." I grinned.

"Kasa!" snapped Tesuri. Well, it was either watch him wallow in misery or have his blood pressure elevated for a little while. Meh, a little adrenaline never hurts anyone.

* * *

There were probably more to Tesuri's story, like how on earth did he recount the events at Hiruzen's office so well? Was he there when they decided? Or was it a recollection from Kushina or Mikoto? What was Fugaku's view on all this? Did Mikoto get him to agree? If not, how much power does she have? Between my injuries and the stress of the oncoming war, this fake engagement was taking a backseat until things settled. I have more pressing matters to tend to… like rowdy chakra exhausted jounins.

"Kasa, can't you be more gentle?" whined Obito as I redid his bandages. "I'm a patient, and I'm hurt."

"Quit complaining, it's not like it hurts. Most of your wounds are superficial by this point. The only reason that you're still here is due to chakra exhaustion." I retorted as I tightened the bandages around his neck bit more just to spite him.

"Ack! Too tight! Too tight!" flailed Obito.

It's been a week since I've recovered and immediately, I was listed under Rin as her nurse's aide. My first assignment as her aide was to tend to Obito and Kakashi's bandage changes and their feeding if Rin decided that they needed to be restrained. Apparently, these two has the highest record in trying to escape from the hospital and not even chakra rope could keep them at bay.

Rin was assigned to these two as a means to keep them from obliterating the supply of chakra rope. Who knew she could use the chakra chains as a means to reign in rowdy patients like Kakashi and Obito. Knowing what I knew of them, I found it extraordinarily strange that they would act so… juvenile. From what I remember by this point they were more solemn than anything else.

With so many things happening one after another, I haven't had a chance to take a step back and take note what changes occurred with the presence of Obito being alive and still in Konoha. From early on, I realized that any major event I changed had an unpredictable butterfly effect to follow.

Isobu's rampage through Konoha all those years ago was a prime example. In saving Obito, I inadvertently saved Rin from her death in Kakashi's hands and unleashed this demon on Konoha. Though, without her, I might not have been able to save Kushina. I could probably spend days listing out all the changes and differences Obito made by just existing alongside everyone, but I hardly have the time for that.

What I will note is what his presence did to Kakashi. Unlike the silver-haired jounin I knew from long ago, this one wasn't the aloof and Icha Icha obsessed jounin… Well, maybe he's secretly obsessed with Jiraiya's pervy books, but his personality was considerably more subdued compared to the original. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Sure, he still had his moments where he'd crack well-timed jokes and tease Obito to no ends, but somehow, I get the feeling that his heart isn't all there when he does so.

"I can't believe you two!" grumbled Rin as she marked off their charts. "I skip _one_ mission and you two idiots go off and cause an international incident!"

"But what they wanted would've killed you!" protested Obito.

"I'm quite sure the negotiations team wouldn't have let it come to that," said Rin as she dropped the charts back into their bins. "It's bad enough you threw the first punch, did you have to go and take out _platoons_ of Kiri-nin? You even dragged Kakashi into this mess and now both of you are stuck here with chakra exhaustion."

"Why am I getting all the blame?" whined Obito. "Kakashi took out more of them than me!"

"Don't drag me into this," drawled Kakashi. "I was just saving your neck."

"Yeah right! You were just as angry that they wanted to do that to Rin!" snapped Obito before he turned to me with a kicked puppy expression on his face. "Kasa, you believe me right?"

"I don't know." I said absently with a grin. "Kakashi's not the type to start international disputes."

"Kaaassaaaa," whined Obito. "Not you too, why doesn't anyone believe me?"

"I'll believe you when you grow up," said Rin dryly. "Now are you two going to behave or do I have to chain you up?"

"Wooh, Rin-san's kinky." I said juvenilely before she flushed red.

"Kasa-chan!" shouted the girl, completely mortified.

"Does your father know you make such lewd jokes?" commented Kakashi.

"Do you want to be the one to tell him?" I replied cheerily.

The silver-haired jounin snorted. "No thanks, I'll leave that honor to someone else."

"Why?" I grinned. "Tou-san is a pleasant conversationalist with excellent bedside manners."

"I supposed that would be true, but I don't think that extends to everyone. Especially concerning certain individuals," drawled Kakashi.

"Eh?" I turned my attention to him before I caught a knowing look under his lowered lids. How the heck does he know? Did Tenzo blab?

"Really?" said Obito in confusion. "Tesuri doesn't seem like that sort of person. He's usually so nice to me when I get hospitalized. Nicer than most of the other iryo-nin in the hospital anyway."

"Is that so?" said Rin leisurely.

"I-I mean not as nice as you Rin!" Hastily Obito corrected himself. "You're the nicest and most awesomest one there!"

"Suck up." I sniggered quietly as Kakashi snorted.

"The only reason why Tesuri seems nice at all is because he actually likes him," snorted Kakashi.

"What, Tou-san doesn't like you then?" I asked curiously.

"More like he doesn't like anyone that you could take fancy to," droned Kakashi. "Considering Obito practically treats you like a little sister and is overly obsessed with pleasing Rin at every turn, I think that's the only reason why he's not amongst your father's kill on sight list."

I pressed a hand to my face. "Good lord, Tou-san's taking the phrase overprotective to a whole other level…" I paused. "Why does he think I might be interested in you of all people? You're an ass."

Obito cracked up laughing. "You tell the stoic bastard, Kasa!"

"At least her father thinks I'm cool enough to be a threat," replied Kakashi.

"Ha, but he actually likes me. What do you say to that?" grinned Obito.

"Likeable like a toothache," droned Kakashi.

"You want a fight tough guy?" snapped Obito as he crawled to his knees.

"Please, you can barely even get out of bed," retorted Kakashi with a snort.

"You want to test that, tough guy?" growled Obito.

"You won't last five seconds," challenged Kakashi.

"Enough!" snappe Rin as she chained the two with chakra chains and planted their faces into their beds. "Neither of you are getting into a fight in the hospital. Now shut up and settle down!"

"Y-yes ma'am," croaked the two as they struggled to breathe with the chain's grip.

With my hands to my mouth, I did my best to cover the giggles escaping. You got to love the team dynamics in Konoha. Even when beaten and down, as long as the team is still together, they'll still wreak havoc, whether on the battlefield or the hospital bed. As long as Kakashi has Rin and Obito, I don't think I have to worry all that much… Probably…

* * *

Author's Note: Short chapter, but I think I covered what I wanted to for now. In the previous note when I said the marriage was for shits and giggles, I didn't mean for it to come off as a joke from Tenzo. The engagement is legit and she is bound, at least for the moment, to the Uchiha Clan. Though, I must say I was surprised at the amount of Itachi/Kasa shippers in the reviews.

I don't want to spoil what's to come, but just for fun, I'll tell you guys the horoscopes for the list of people that you reviewers seem to want Kasa to be paired along with some random crack I decided to toss in because it's funny to see you guys come up with random pairings. Let me know what you guys come up with! I'll see you in the next chapter!

Kasa: Aries

Itachi: Gemini

Shisui: Scorpio

Tenzo: Leo

Kakashi: Virgo

Obito: Aquarius

Tesuri: Aquarius

Kushina: Cancer

Rin: Scorpio

Sai: Sagittarius

Kabuto: Pisces


	30. Iryo-nin Tesuri (医療忍 檻) Rain's Threshold

**Iryo-nin Tesuri (****医療忍****檻****)**

**Rain's Threshold**

Tesuri Mon lived a challenging life, like his daughter he was born during the height of a shinobi war and grew up with another in tow. However, unlike Kasa, he was never given the opportunity to leave the living nightmare that was called Amegakure.

Under the ruling of Hanzo's iron fist, children within Amegakure, especially ones from shinobi family were highly encouraged to join the shinobi forces. Encouraged by means of physical harm to them and those around them if they failed to comply. Tesuri, being from a small family of shinobi had no choice in the matter when the Ame Anbu went about the village and collected any potential shinobi candidates to replenish the numbers lost from the previous and ongoing wars.

Tutored under the Amegakure shinobi curriculum, Tesuri quickly found his compatibility with ninjutsu, much like his parents whom were war harden veterans both specialized in offensive ninjutsu and direct combat. Under normal circumstances, Tesuri would have followed in their steps. Fighters among the shinobi ranks were always appreciated, especially during times of war.

However, all the power in the world meant nothing, if one doesn't live long enough to use it. Having watched his parents bleed out on the field while he could do nothing, left a permanent mark on his psyche and drove him to the field of iryo-ninjutsu.

With his growing skills in the healing arts, Tesuri became high in demand as the war dragged on. Friends and comrades fell, one after another. As hard as he struggle and as hard as he worked, he wasn't able the save those who mattered most to him. Years after he became genin and barely months as he became chunin another mark made its way into Tesuri's psyche.

Due to the dwindling numbers, more and more clients outsourced their missions to other villages. Hard pressed with the drop in finances, Hanzo did what he could and doubled up on the effort to recruit and train new forces. Had any other kage tried this rushed process, they would've created an army of subpar genin and doomed their village to an eventual annihilation.

However, Hanzo wasn't like the kages from the other villages. Under his rule, if anyone dared to fall below the set standard they were severely punished.

For Tesuri, the mark he gained from Hanzo's punishment was in the form and a small nameless grave in the depths of the Ame forest. He would never forget the day Hanzo set down that punishment when he failed to save one of the better fighters that was mortally wounded during a skirmish. That day was the day his sister died and he became truly without family.

As punishment for his blunder, Hanzo had poisoned his little sister and had him watch as it slowly coursed through her body, torturing her through a slow death. He screamed and begged, but Hanzo was relentless. He had Tesuri held until there were less than half an hour's time left in his sister's life. By then, when he was released, it was far too late to do anything to save her.

The grief of losing his remaining family drove him mad as he threw himself at Hanzo, trying to kill the man for causing him such pain. Unfortunately, Tesuri was nowhere near the skill level to pose any sort of threat to Hanzo. The ruthless leader had no difficulty in beating him to the ground. He could have very well snuffed out his life then and there and no one could have done a single thing.

Yet, as if to mock him and torment him further, Hanzo let him live, forcing him to continue his work in iryo-ninjutsu. Tesuri hated his existence. He wanted nothing more than to die, to escape the wretched life that was in Ame, but he couldn't.

Regardless what hardships he faced, he simply wouldn't die. No amount of poison or injuries could drag him to death's door. Not only did he survive, he thrived at each turn. Even when friends and comrades fell around him, he continued to live. Eventually he resigned to his fate and decided to join the rebel faction Akatsuki.

If fate refused to let him die, then he would do whatever he could to take vengeance against Hanzo. If he couldn't take down the man himself, he would support others and help them do so.

As an iryo-nin, his skillset was a valuable commodity as they were rare among most shinobi ranks. With Konoha being the only exception that had at least one iryo-nin in almost every platoon of shinobi on the field. Likely it was due to the machinations of a legendary iryo-nin such as Tsunade.

Regardless the fact that he was from another village, his respect for the woman never wavered. He only wished that Ame had the same procedures when it came to the wellbeing of their shinobi. When he joined Akatsuki, he expected the rest of his life to be filled with violence and death. What he didn't expect, was to fall in love.

"Sorry for the trouble Tesuri," grimaced Yahiko as Tesuri snuck him out of the detainment cellar.

"When are you going to be more careful with yourself?" grunted the blue-haired jounin with Yahiko's arm over his shoulder and his arm around the beaten young man's waist.

After joining Akatsuki, he served as a double agent. Helping them whenever they were captured and healing them whenever they needed medical assistance and hiding them when they needed to flee. Though, when it came to Yahiko, he had his hands full just keeping him away from Ame's T&I.

"I-I'm working on that," winced Yahiko. "Hanzo's a tough bastard. It's near impossible to run away when he sets your sight on you. I swear, I will get him one of these days."

"Big aspiration," drawled Tesuri. "How about we get you out of here first?"

A weak chuckle escaped Yahiko. "That sounds good… Konan's probably going to kill me when she hears about this though."

"Better by her hand than Hanzo's," grinned Tesuri. "She's prettier at least."

A snigger escaped Yahiko. "Don't let her hear that."

"As if—" Tesuri silenced himself as he hastily pressed Yahiko to the wall.

Neither of them could see anyone nor hear anything, but they knew someone was coming. Sharing a quick glance, Yahiko nodded before Tesuri twisted his arm behind his back and toss him to the ground.

"Trying to escape?" started Tesuri harshly. "Are you really that naïve?

"Damn it! How did you find me?" growled Yahiko.

"I don't need to explain myself," continued Tesuri, his eyes flicking to the corners of his eyes trying to see who was coming, but he saw no one.

"Let go of me!" snapped Yahiko.

"Shut up traitor," said Tesuri as he pressed Yahiko's arm harder.

"Ow!" hissed Yahiko. "Take it easy would you?"

"You have no place to talk traitor," said Tesuri.

"You sadist," cried out Yahiko, though from the sound of his voice, Tesuri couldn't tell whether he was keeping up the act or actually calling him a sadist.

His thoughts didn't linger on the matter for long as a feminine voice shouted "Sealing Technique: Earth Fist!"

"Wait did she say—" started Yahiko, but he never finished as a dirt packed fist shot out from the ground and sent Tesuri flying into the cellar ceiling. "Somuku!"

"Hurry up Yahiko," hissed a masked woman. "What happened to the guy that was supposed to get you out? Did he abandon you?"

"Uh…" Yahiko looked to where Tesuri landed. "You just knocked him out."

"Eh?" surprised crossed her eyes as she turned to Tesuri's fallen form. "EH? But he was attacking you! How could he be helping?"

"He was trying to throw off whoever it was we thought was coming! You can't expect him to fight and haul my ass around at the same time do you?" said Yahiko in exasperation.

"How should I know?" grumbled Somuku. "It's not like I've ever seen him before!"

"Never mind that, we should really get going before someone notices I'm gone," said Yahiko.

"What are we going to do with him?" nodded Somuku to Tesuri's fallen form. "I can't carry you and him at the same time."

"We can't just leave him either!" retorted Yahiko. "Do you know what Hanzo would do to him if he knew that I got out on his watch?"

"What do you want me to do?" snapped Somuku.  
"I don't know! Think of something! You're the seal master, do something fancy!" said Yahiko.

"…Fine, fine!" grumbled Somuku under her breath as she reached into her pouch. "Ungrateful bastard, I come all this way to help him and he makes me lug around another deadweight just like him. Whatever, I always wanted to try out this seal anyway."

"Wait, try?" said Yahiko in disbelief. "You never used it before?"

"Well, I've used it before… just never on a live human," said Somuku cheerily.

"Is he going to die if you stick him in there?" asked Yahiko warily.

"He's going to die if Hanzo gets his hands on him, so why not?" said Somuku.

"You two do know a punch like that won't knock me out right?" grunted Tesuri as he crawled to his knees, rubbing his face. "That stung though."

"Oh! He's still awake!" said Somuku in surprise. "I was so sure it would've knocked him out."

"New?" grumbled Tesuri as he gathered his wits and got to his feet.

"Sort of?" said Yahiko as he ran a hand through his hair. "She's Nagato's cousin, thrice removed or something of the sort. I'm not really all that sure."

"Same village, same clan and a whole lot of drama," drawled Somuku. "As much as I like to stand here and make your acquaintance, we're pressed for time. The disillusion seal I placed up isn't going to last forever. Someone's going to notice sooner or later."

"You take Yahiko then. I'll cover your tracks," said Tesuri.

"What?" whined Yahiko. "You're going to abandon me to this brute of a woman?"

"Who are you calling a brute?" said Somuku sweetly.

"N-no one!" squeaked Yahiko.

"I thought so," said Somuku with a grin.

"Just get out of here," said Tesuri in exasperation.

"Will do," chirped Somuku as she grabbed Yahiko by the back of his collar and began to drag him off. "Come along Yahiko."

"T-Tesuri!" choked Yahiko desperately as he looked to him for help.

A faint grin touched Tesuri's lips as he shook his head.

"Oh! By the way," said Somuku as she paused briefly to glance at Tesuri with a sheepish grin. "Sorry for punching you into the ceiling. Force of habit from where I'm from."

"…Okay?" said Tesuri, uncertain to what else he could say. What would anyone say to that in this situation?

"Great! See you around!" said Somuku before he hauled Yahiko off.

The first impression she left on Tesuri was that she was loud, abrasive and bit obnoxious. Compared to the gloominess of the villagers and shinobi in Ame, she was like a glowing sun. He didn't like her.

Yet, somehow he kept running into her wherever he went. To the point that was bordering stalking.

"Are you stalking me?" asked Tesuri in annoyance.

"What makes you think that?" chirped Somuku. "We're both shinobi and we both live in the same village, why do you think I'm stalking you?"

"Because wherever I go, you're always there!" growled Tesuri.

"Okay, maybe I am stalking you," admitted Somuku. "But it's not like I'm trying to be creepy."

"Just go away," sighed Tesuri, exhausted.

"You know, you should really relax a little," said the fiery red-head. "If you keep frowning like that, your face is going to get stuck."

"Do you always have to act like a sun all the time?" said Tesuri snidely.

"Sun?" repeated Somuku in confusion.

"You're always so bright and happy! What is there to be happy about?" snapped Tesuri. "A war is raging, people are dying and it's hard enough to just survive in Ame. There's nothing to be happy about and just looking at you is making me exhausted."

Somuku waited for him to finish before she wrapped an arm around her back and gripped onto her other arm. "…Sorry Mr. Gloom and Doom," grumbled the young woman. "You always looked so miserable so I was just trying to cheer you up. They said smiles are contagious, but I guess not in your case."

"Wait, I—" started Tesuri, but was abruptly cut off.

"See you around," muttered Somuku before she disappeared in a splash.

For weeks, he didn't see a single strand of red hair. At any other time, Tesuri wouldn't have bothered and let the matter pass. However, Somuku's words lingered in his mind and he couldn't ignore it as much as he wanted to. Why would she go out of her way to try to cheer him up? They've only met once before and even then, they barely even talked. So why was she going out of her way to do this?

Despite knowing next to nothing of the woman's actions, Tesuri found himself searching for her whenever he wasn't at the hospital or on the field. The longer he went without seeing her, the strong the guilt grew. He had no clue why he felt so bad for yelling at her.

The next time he saw her, it was at the place he least expected. The grave of his little sister.

"Hey gloomy," greeted Somuku from her seat in front of the grave. She was soaked by the rain. It was odd that she wasn't carrying an umbrella. No one ever left the house without one. In Ame, it always rained.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tesuri as he stopped, several steps away from her.

"I spoke with Konan," explained Somuku. "She told me what happened with your little sister."

Tesuri said nothing.

"I know it's not my place to say anything since I know nothing about you or your family, but… Don't you think they would be sad if they knew you were like this?" asked Somuku. "So sad, all the time?"

"What do you know?" said Tesuri.

"My home village was completely destroyed," said Somuku with a sad grin. "Everyone is either dead or scattered to the four corners of the world."

"…I'm sorry to hear that," said Tesuri, his words sounding empty even to his ears.

"I'm not," chirped Somuku.

"What?" said Tesuri puzzled.

"Things happen," reasoned Somuku. "We can't always control what happens around us. That's a simple fact. Instead of wallowing away in misery, why not make the best of it?"

"… You're shining like the sun again," said Tesuri irritably.

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Somuku cheerily.

"…I don't understand," sighed Tesuri. "Why do you even bother?"

"They said misery loves company," said Somuku. "But there's another saying where misery only brings more misery… I'm… kind of tired of all this..."

Tesuri twitched when he noticed a solemn expression crossing her face.

"Aren't you tired?" asked the woman quietly. "Misery is such a heavy burden. Can't you give yourself a moment of rest and let go?"

"Why do you care?" asked Tesuri. "I don't even know you."

"Because you can do the one thing I can't," said Somuku with a sheepish laugh.

"And that is?" asked Tesuri.

"You can heal people," said Somuku. "I may act all happy and goofy, but when it comes to my seals and all, if I'm not destroying, the most I could do was shielding. You're different. You can actually heal and fix people… I'm a little jealous to tell the truth. I have no aptitude for the healing arts."

"No aptitude huh?" said Tesuri quietly after a moment of silence.

"None whatsoever," chirped Somuku. "I can't even have pet because they kept dying in my care… my poor turtles."

"…Pft," slipped a snicker from Tesuri as he raised a hand to cover his mouth in surprise. It's been so long, he had almost forgotten how to laugh.

"Ha! You laughed!" cheered Somuku. "I got Mr. Gloomy to laugh!"

"No you didn't," said Tesuri as he recomposed himself.

"You can hide it all you want, but you and I both know it," grinned the woman. "I got you to laugh and—achoo!"

Tesuri rolled his eyes as he moved to hold his umbrella over her. "If you stay in the rain any longer, you're going to get sick."

Somuku blinked as she glanced up at the umbrella before a sly grin crossed her lips. "My, my, are you flirting with me, Mr. Gloomy?"

"W-What?" said Tesuri, flustered as the woman jumped to her feet and invaded his personal space.

"You like me don't you?" said Somuku teasingly only inches away from his face.

"Don't you know anything about boundaries?" said Tesuri as he took a step back.

"Aw, you're shy!" giggled Somuku. "You know what? I think I'm going to marry you."

Tesuri's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Don't make these decisions on your own!"

She pouted with teary eyes. "What? You don't like me after all?"

"T-That's…" Tesuri didn't know what to say.

"…Hehe," sniggered Somuku as she took a step back and held her stomach laughing. "Oh goodness, you should've seen the look on your face! That was priceless!"

"I'm leaving," said Tesuri as he turned his heel to leave.

"Oh come on! It was just a joke! Lighten up!" said Somuku as she skipped over and loop her arm around his. "You're not really angry are you?"

Tesuri sighed, grabbing her hand from his arm and planted his umbrella into her hand. "Go home, dry off and get changed before you get sick."

Surprise crossed her face at his suggestion, but was immediately replaced by another grin. "See you around then," said the girl before she tip-toed to peck him on the cheek.

Tesuri stood stunned as she turned heel and dashed off without another word. Numbly, he placed a hand on the cheek that was kissed before his face flushed red. "I really don't like her."

Little did he know, with each meeting he had with Somuku he found himself smiling and even laughing at times. When he finally realized what was happening, it's been years and he had fallen for the girl who shined like the sun.

"Heya, what's with the long face Mr. Gloomy?" said Somuku as she snapped him out of his thoughts as she plopped down next to him. "Nagato and the others did pretty well this time, Yahiko didn't even need you to bail him out this time."

"Somuku," said Tesuri, his tone serious.

The red-haired woman stood attention at his voice. "What's wrong?"

"I have something to ask you," said Tesuri as he stared everywhere except her face.

"Okay?" said the woman in confusion as she tilted her head.

"… I don't know how to word this…" said Tesuri slowly.

"You could always say it bluntly," suggested Somuku.

"You said you were tired right?" asked Tesuri.

"Tired?" repeated Somuku in confusion.

"Tired of the misery?" supplied Tesuri before her usual smile slipped a little.

"What about it?" asked Somuku as she turned away, imitating him.

"I just wanted you to know… over the past few years, you've lifted that misery from me," said Tesuri.

The smile returned to her face. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"But it's hardly fair," added Tesuri.

"Fair?" confusion returned to her face again. "What does fair have to do with anything?"

"You've been doing that for me all this time and you've got nothing in return," said Tesuri.

"I didn't' expect anything to return," said Somuku puzzled. "I didn't do it for rewards you know."

A faint smile touched his lips as he forced himself to look at her in the face. "I know, but still," said Tesuri as he gathered his thoughts and tried to piece what he wanted to say together.

Somuku glanced at him curiously. "What's wrong?"

"I know this may sound selfish…" he took a deep breath. "I would like you to keep the misery away forever."

"…Um… sure?" said Somuku, uncertain with what he was trying to offer. "But I'm not sure how…?"

A soft chuckle escaped Tesuri as he reached out to hold her hand. "Just staying the way you are is fine. As long as you're with me. It's fine."

Somuku stared at his hand in surprise at first before understanding dawned. A grin spread across her face as she weaved her fingers into his hand and gripped it comfortingly. "Sure, I'll stick around for as long as you need me."

Her promise lasted for five years before Hanzo realized their affiliation with Akatsuki and decided it was time to tie off the ends.

"Somuku, take Kasa and run!" shouted Tesuri as he and Somuku fled with Kasa in his arms.

"Don't be stupid! You're an iryo-nin! They'll destroy you!" argued Somuku.

"I'm not going to let you and Kasa die here like this!" snapped Tesuri as he shoved their daughter into her arms. "You are taking Kasa and that's final!"

Somuku looked at her husband with intense eyes as she stopped on a branch, arms resisting the urge to shake as she held onto her four-year-old daughter.

"What are you doing?" Tesuri caught himself at the next branch when he realized his wife had stopped moving.

"I have a better chance of surviving than you. And if Kasa gets hurt, you are the better healer," reason Somuku as she placed Kasa down on the branch.

"Somuku please!" begged Tesuri as he raced back to her, but his pleads were left unheard as Ame-nin swarmed them from behind. As he made his way back, he could see her saying her last words to their daughter before he grasped onto the child's arms, concentrating intensely. Their little girl screamed in agony.

"Transcript Sealing: Memory Transfer!" shouted Somuku burning a black seal permanently onto Kasa's arms. "Tesuri! Take her now!"

With their daughter still screaming, she shove her into Tesuri's waiting arms.

"Somuku—" started Tesuri, but he couldn't finish as she pressed her lips to his.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips as she grabbed his arm and their daughter's arm. "Uzumaki Hijutsu: Jikukan Kekkai!"

That was the last he saw of Somuku and shortly after reuniting with his daughter that was separated by the seal, they were separated again in order for him to keep her safe. He vowed never again would he allow those he loved die before him, but as Somuku noted, no one can control everything.

It took a year before he saw his little girl again. In trying to divert the Iwa-nin that tried to kill her and steal the eye of the boy she saved, he was recruited by Konoha to assist them in the matters of the war. He couldn't have refused. They had his daughter and he would be damned if he lets what happened to his little sister with Hanzo happen here with his daughter.

With hardship, he eventually made it back to his daughter. While she did great him with open arms, he found that she had attached herself to someone that was from Somuku's clan. At first, he was furious that his daughter would replace her own mother so easily, but the anger didn't linger as he found that in his absence the people of Konoha had sealed off unstable demonic chakra into his little girl.

She was all but exiled because of what they placed in her. To see her cry and beg to stay, broke his heart and to find out the demon chakra was eating away at her mind was a twist of the knife. Fortunately, his child was resilient and overcame each obstacle fate threw at her in turn. Fear gripped at his heart the strongest when Hanzo had gotten his hand on her.

When he married Somuku, they both vowed to be free from Akatsuki and attempted at a normal life, but obviously that didn't happen.

"Tesuri," said Konan in surprise when he came them out of the blue.

"…Konan, I need your help… Hanzo has my daughter," begged Tesuri, he had no other option left to him.

"…Nagato?" Konan looked to the other Uzumaki descendent and the redhead nodded.

Despite abandoning them the way he had, Yahiko wasted no time in rounding up the rest of Akatsuki to help him retrieve his daughter. When he saw her motionless on the ground, his sanity nearly snapped if not for Konan's reassuring hand on his shoulder and her confirmation of Kasa's survival. Without the help of Akatsuki, he wouldn't have been able to retrieve his daughter. He owed them a debt that he would have to repay in the future.

As much as he wanted to give his daughter a chance at the normal life, it was impossible. Kasa's list of mishaps and failure were unending, but she was relentless with her drive to learn and the desire to grow stronger so that she could help those she cared for. It tugged at his heart to see so much of Somuku in their daughter.

And like her mother, she hides everything behind a smile. It was near impossible for him to tell most of the time what she was thinking. Often times he worries for her lack of self-preservation, but it seems like she was cursed with the same fate as him as death would not claim her.

If only that curse extended to keeping her sanity and health in check. With her status as an outsider she was constantly under scrutiny by the Konoha council. It drove him mad that he had no political pull in any village to protect her from such attacks.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, his daughter still had family in the village, albeit very distant in relation, but the woman seemed fond of her. He was glad his daughter had someone to watch over her… just only he wished that they didn't have to use an engagement farce to give such protections.

"Tou-san," said Kasa in exasperation. "I thought we've been through this already. There's no one I'm interested it. So stop worrying."

"…You sure now?" grumbled Tesuri as he held onto his daughter tightly, afraid that if he let go, she would disappear like everyone else.

"Completely," replied the girl dryly.

She was the last of his family and while he wishes nothing but her happiness, he wasn't about to give her up so easily.

"Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" asked Kushina with a dry tone. "I mean it's not like she's engaged to any of them, must you plot for their deaths already?"

"Hardly, if those brats want my little Kasa, they're going to have to go through me. I'm not letting anyone hurt my little girl. Not now, not ever," declared Tesuri.

Kushina sighed as she turned to leave the room. "Whatever you say, but you do know that you can't control everything in the world right?"

Tesuri froze at those familiar words before the tenseness melted away. "…Yes, I do," whispered the man.

His tone soft and saddened. Kushina didn't need to turn around to see how he looked.

"Instead of wallowing in the past and worrying about the future, why don't you just enjoy the present?" suggested Kushina. "That's really all we can ever do."

"…Maybe I'll try that… Thank you Uzumaki-san," said Tesuri.

Kushina sighed. "One of these days, I'll get you to say my name."

A wry grin touched Tesuri's lips. "You could try, but it's not going to happen."

"I'll find a way one of these days," promised Kushina. "See you around!"

Tesuri smiled sadly as he watched her go. As much as Kushina reminded him of his wife, she wasn't her. His heart would only open for one person and one person alone.

"…Maybe I am a little too harsh on those boys…" murmured Tesuri as he paused in sharpening his scalpels. "…Like hell I am. Once they hit puberty, they're going to be wolves. Better safe than sorry."

As much grief as he faced in his life, his drive now, is to beat away potential suitors for his little girl. That in itself was a full-time job.

* * *

Author's Notes: I did say I was going to write some romance… but I never said for who xD. I've been wanting to do this bonus chapter for a while, but I wasn't sure where to stick it till now. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed learning a little bit more about Kasa's dad.


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